Everybody needs to sleep. This is a fact that cannot be contested. Sleep slows the body down, putting every major component of the body into a more relaxed state. This is also acknowledged as a medical fact. People dream while they’re asleep and, in theory, animals may also experience dream-like scenarios. Despite the fact that most people can’t remember them, this too can be confirmed medically. However, aside from all of the above listed effects (and side effects), what exactly does sleeping do for a person? That is slightly less certainly known, which is probably the reason so many institutions and research programs are delving deep into the scientific facts behind sleep.
The natural growth hormones that the body needs to develop are produced in large quantities during sleep. This has often been seen as the explanation for why people who don’t sleep too much often end up being slightly shorter than their peers. These hormones are produced at their peak during puberty and tend to cease production afterwards. People are still unsure why the body produces more of it during sleep. There are some that theorize that this is merely a part of the side...