Differnce between sleeping and..

[Oxaqata]

This probably a really stupid & obvious question but,
What is the difference between lying motionless in bed for 8hrs and sleeping for 8hrs? Why doesnt the body rest whilst doing nothing at all?

 

[byosys]

I can't give you any specific details, but I do know the brain undergoes a number of processes only while sleeping. If I remember correctly (and I'm not positive on this), certain hormones are only produced while sleeping among other things.

I don't know if there would be a difference between the two for muscles or other aspects of the body, but I the hormones released only while sleeping would have an effect on the rest of the body.

 

[mozirry]

I always sleep with my eyes open...motionless...with my hands crossed on my chest.

I've never felt younger


*flaps away in form of a bat*

 

[LazyGit]

I've got no idea what goes on in the brain when I'm awake let alone when I'm asleep. I like to think of sleep as defragging the brain. Your brain cuts off outside stimuli so that it can process everything that's been taken in. That's why you can be tired just from doing lots of reading rather than doing lots of running. I guess.
cheers

 

[CycloWizard]

HowStuffWorks FTW!

Also see: Is a lack of sleep making me fat? and
How to stop snoring.

 

[StopSign]

There is no difference because Chuck Norris doesn't sleep. He waits.

 

[BladeVenom]

The body does rest when doing nothing at all. I think sleep is mostly needed by the brain, not the body.

 

[Stiganator]

Sleep is different in that you are no longer taking in data the same way. It just organizes and recharges chemical levels. If you just lay down with your eyes closed for 8 hours you will be recharged a little but not as much as a few hours of sleep.

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: StopSign
There is no difference because Chuck Norris doesn't sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris does not wait. Time stops until he is ready for things to happen.

 

[Xdreamer]

sleep has an associated loss of consciousness. Also, during REM sleep specifically, there are complex reverberating patternes of activity in the hippocampus possiblily indication that memories may be consolidated during sleep, but maybe not.

You can dream while awake, so how would you know you were sleeping other than the passage of time?

 

[bobsmith1492]

Originally posted by: ahurtt

Originally posted by: StopSign
There is no difference because Chuck Norris doesn't sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris does not wait. Time stops until he is ready for things to happen.

Au contrare, Chuck Norris is always ready for anything; he merely decides when it will happen.

 

[Jahee]

There are some theories that state sleep is needed to replenish neurotransmitters lost during the day and that it has no effect on muscles, muscles can repair during a state of "restfulness" whilst other theories say that its essential for repairing muscles...

At least thats how i remember it from college.

Heres a couple of links.

Read, Restoration Theory

Thats not all i was looking for though, two psychologists Oswald and Horne had some theories on the function of sleep, one said it was neccesary for repairing the body and mind whilst one said it was only neccesary for repairing the mind basically..

 

[shortylickens]

I knew a guy who only had to lay down for an hour a day and he was good the other 23.
I hate him. :|

EDIT:
Truth be told, I would love to get by on 4 hours sleep. I'd like the extra time to do stuff.
But I find the more I do, the more rest/sleep I need.
Also, I heard the body works in 90 minute cycles, so 4 hours would not work I guess.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
I knew a guy who only had to lay down for an hour a day and he was good the other 23.
I hate him. :|

EDIT:
Truth be told, I would love to get by on 4 hours sleep. I'd like the extra time to do stuff.
But I find the more I do, the more rest/sleep I need.
Also, I heard the body works in 90 minute cycles, so 4 hours would not work I guess.

I think studies have been done and found that the minimum hours of sleep a person can function properly without developing conditions i.e aches, illness (physical and mental), etc is 4, sure you'll be tired but below that u start to get problems

 

[Taqwus]

You are right it takes 4 hours to have one sleep cycle. You can get waken up earlier, but if you are in Phase 3 or Phase 4 your brain will be creating gamma waves (or alpha can not remmeber which ones), that is why you see people wake up and are out of it all day
Most adults only get 1 sleep cycle, where children will undergo 2 usually
If I remember right
Phase 1 is falling to sleep, this is the euphoric feeling you get when you relax when you are real tired, lucid dreaming can happen here also
Phase 2 still producing alpha waves and beta waves
Phase 3 transition
Phase 4 REM sleep

 

[dkozloski]

Thomas Edison promoted the idea of four hours sleep a day and some naps. He did pretty well on it.

 

[Taqwus]

I thought he promoted catnaps in his lab and thought sleep was useless