Dr. Guy Leschziner

primarily controlled by the brain and many of its functions are for regulation of brain function of normal brain functioning so that sleep is part of the housekeeping that is required to maintain our brain which is a the most metabolically active organ in our bodies in in fighting shape

We know that sleep has important functions in terms of making connections between different cells within our brain, sometimes actually pruning those connections. But it's also involved in, for example, flushing out toxins or metabolites, substances that have built up over the course of the day out of our brains and back into the rest of our systems.

We know that sleep has important functions in terms of making connections between different cells within our brain, sometimes actually pruning those connections. But it's also involved in, for example, flushing out toxins or metabolites, substances that have built up over the course of the day out of our brains and back into the rest of our systems.

We know that sleep has important functions in terms of making connections between different cells within our brain, sometimes actually pruning those connections. But it's also involved in, for example, flushing out toxins or metabolites, substances that have built up over the course of the day out of our brains and back into the rest of our systems.

But it goes well beyond the brain in that we now understand that sleep is absolutely vital for regulation of cardiovascular function, for kidney function, for healing and restoration of various aspects of our bodies, regulation of our immune system and so on. So an absolute array of functions. When we talk about sleep,

But it goes well beyond the brain in that we now understand that sleep is absolutely vital for regulation of cardiovascular function, for kidney function, for healing and restoration of various aspects of our bodies, regulation of our immune system and so on. So an absolute array of functions. When we talk about sleep,

But it goes well beyond the brain in that we now understand that sleep is absolutely vital for regulation of cardiovascular function, for kidney function, for healing and restoration of various aspects of our bodies, regulation of our immune system and so on. So an absolute array of functions. When we talk about sleep,

Yes, that's absolutely right. I think that some of that is related to the fact that sleep is not a single state. So we often think of sleep and wake as being binary states. So either you're awake or either you're asleep. But actually what we know is that sleep consists of multiple different stages.

Yes, that's absolutely right. I think that some of that is related to the fact that sleep is not a single state. So we often think of sleep and wake as being binary states. So either you're awake or either you're asleep. But actually what we know is that sleep consists of multiple different stages.

Yes, that's absolutely right. I think that some of that is related to the fact that sleep is not a single state. So we often think of sleep and wake as being binary states. So either you're awake or either you're asleep. But actually what we know is that sleep consists of multiple different stages.

So at its most basic level, we divide sleep up into REM sleep or rapid eye movement sleep, where the brain appears to be very active when we monitor the activity of the brain using electrodes on the scalp. Actually, it looks rather similar to wake on that basis. And then non-REM sleep, which is where the brain activity slows down and becomes a little bit more quiescent.

So at its most basic level, we divide sleep up into REM sleep or rapid eye movement sleep, where the brain appears to be very active when we monitor the activity of the brain using electrodes on the scalp. Actually, it looks rather similar to wake on that basis. And then non-REM sleep, which is where the brain activity slows down and becomes a little bit more quiescent.

So at its most basic level, we divide sleep up into REM sleep or rapid eye movement sleep, where the brain appears to be very active when we monitor the activity of the brain using electrodes on the scalp. Actually, it looks rather similar to wake on that basis. And then non-REM sleep, which is where the brain activity slows down and becomes a little bit more quiescent.

But even within those categories, we know that in non-REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep that we most associate with restorative sleep or sleep that makes you feel better when you wake up.

But even within those categories, we know that in non-REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep that we most associate with restorative sleep or sleep that makes you feel better when you wake up.

But even within those categories, we know that in non-REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep that we most associate with restorative sleep or sleep that makes you feel better when you wake up.

There are different stages of sleep, and it seems that our experience of sleep, you know, how we subjectively feel our night has gone, sometimes bears relatively little relationship to the objective measurement of sleep that we can record when you come in for a sleep test in a sleep laboratory.

There are different stages of sleep, and it seems that our experience of sleep, you know, how we subjectively feel our night has gone, sometimes bears relatively little relationship to the objective measurement of sleep that we can record when you come in for a sleep test in a sleep laboratory.

There are different stages of sleep, and it seems that our experience of sleep, you know, how we subjectively feel our night has gone, sometimes bears relatively little relationship to the objective measurement of sleep that we can record when you come in for a sleep test in a sleep laboratory.

Well, I think on a population basis, we know that sleeping very little or sleeping a lot is associated with a range of negative health consequences, including mortality, the most negative health consequence. So people who sleep a very short period, usually less than about six hours, certainly have an increased risk of mortality compared to those who sleep seven or eight hours.