This article will present some basic information about the importance of sleep as well as some tips to help you get the sleep you need. Much about sleep is still being investigated, however it is clear that in general sleep serves a restorative function for the body.
Sleep is necessary for the body to perform many cognitive and physical tasks at an optimal level.
It also appears that sleep may be important in the consolidation of long term memory. The answer to this question varies for each individual. On average, people need somewhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. A good way to find out how much sleep you need is to go to sleep at the same time each night and see what time you naturally wake up without an alarm. Many people are tempted to pull an all-nighter to finish work in the lab, study for an exam or prepare for an important presentation.