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Argumentative Essay On Why Do We Sleep

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Why Do We Sleep? There are twenty-four hours in a day, yet a substantial amount of this time is spent sleeping. Some people wish they could be active and productive without needing to sleep; however, sleep is necessary. Studies show that on average Americans sleep approximately 6.8 hours per night, while seven to nine hours is recommended (Jones, 2013). According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School (2007), if one does not receive an adequate amount of sleep one may become sleep deprived, one’s health may decline, the immune system may be compromised, and the ability to learn or complete tasks may become impaired. The question evoked from this necessity is, why do we sleep? Psychologists typically take two stances concerning this controversy: an adaptive stance or a restorative stance. While psychologists are still not certain on the answer, both the restorative and adaptive approaches have strong evidence of truth and actuality. Supporters of the adaptive theory of sleep believe that sleep is a result of evolution (Ciccarelli, 2015, p. 141). Sleep is perceived as a way to continue the belief of survival of the fittest. Animals and humans used sleep as a form of protection from predators. Sleep was used as a way to hide; sleeping at night presented a way to remain hidden from predators during their hunting hours. An example …show more content…

The adaptive theory claims that organisms sleep to protect themselves from predators; however, it seems illogical if a predator approaches and the organism is unconscious (Klein, 2013). Critics of the restorative theory point out that an active person would need more sleep due to their body using more energy. Active people do not necessarily need more sleep than inactive people, giving critics the chance to oppose this theory. With its critics and strong support for both sides, it is unlikely that one theory will be proven correctly over the

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