Why we Sleep: Conclusion
An interesting point to consider is this: if wakefulness is the most damaging thing an organism can do to itself, why did life wake up in the first place? I believe the answer to this question is quite simple: evolutionary necessity. After one organism woke up, it became impossible to survive without wakeful consciousness due to the opportunities being “awake” presents. Eventually, most organisms reached a balance between wakefulness and sleep that would maximize the survival of their genes over generations without killing the individual too fast.
It is clear that the rapid pace of human development has revolutionized our life. However, it is important to remember that, regardless of out intellectual prowess, we exist within ancient machines that do not know how to keep up with modern culture. If every organism that lives longer than a day has a circadian rhythm, why do we consider ourselves any different? It has been known for quite a while that sleeping 7-9 hours a day for mature adults is the biologically expected range. However, we continue to rebel against this notion out of stubbornness and a lack of interest in our own well being.
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