• Popular
    • Medicine
    • Radiology
    • Cardiology
    • Surgery
    • Nanomedicine
    • Military Medicine
    • Rehab
  • Categories
    • Exclusive
    • A-D
      • Anesthesiology
      • Art
      • Cardiac Surgery
      • Cardiology
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diagnostics
    • E-I
      • Emergency Medicine
      • ENT
      • Genetics
      • Geriatrics
      • GI
      • Informatics
    • M-N
      • Medicine
      • Military Medicine
      • Nanomedicine
      • Net News
      • Neurology
      • Neurosurgery
      • Nuclear Medicine
    • O-P
      • Ob/Gyn
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopedic Surgery
      • Pathology
      • Pediatrics
      • Plastic Surgery
      • Psychiatry
      • Public Health
    • R-V
      • Radiation Oncology
      • Radiology
      • Rehab
      • Reproductive Medicine
      • Space Medicine
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Thoracic Surgery
      • Urology
      • Vascular Surgery
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Submit PR
  • About
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • RSS
  • Submit PR
  • Log in
Medgadget
Medgadget
  • Popular
    • Medicine
      Etched Nanopillars Kill Bacteria, Fungi on Titanium Implants

      Etched Nanopillars Kill Bacteria, Fungi on Titanium Implants

      Cells Release Insulin in Response to Music

      Cells Release Insulin in Response to Music

      Microneedle Skin Patch Measures Cancer Biomarkers

      Microneedle Skin Patch Measures Cancer Biomarkers

      Enzyme Treatment Strips Mucins from Cancer Cells

      Enzyme Treatment Strips Mucins from Cancer Cells

    • Radiology
      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      Portable and Radiation-Free Imaging with Magnetic Nanoparticles

      Portable and Radiation-Free Imaging with Magnetic Nanoparticles

      Imaging Technique Reveals Living Brain Tissue in its Complexity

      Imaging Technique Reveals Living Brain Tissue in its Complexity

      Wearable Ultrasound for Deep Tissue Monitoring

      Wearable Ultrasound for Deep Tissue Monitoring

    • Cardiology
      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      3D Printed Heart Muscle Beats

      3D Printed Heart Muscle Beats

      Wireless Patch Monitors, Paces Heart and then Biodegrades

      Wireless Patch Monitors, Paces Heart and then Biodegrades

      Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance

      Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance

    • Surgery
      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Highly Precise Pressure Sensor for Laparoscopic or Robotic Surgical Tools

      Highly Precise Pressure Sensor for Laparoscopic or Robotic Surgical Tools

      Magnetic Tentacle Robots for Minimally Invasive Procedures

      Magnetic Tentacle Robots for Minimally Invasive Procedures

      Artificial Muscle Changes Stiffness with Voltage

      Artificial Muscle Changes Stiffness with Voltage

    • Nanomedicine
      Nanorobots Release Reactive Oxygen Species to Kill Fungal Biofilms

      Nanorobots Release Reactive Oxygen Species to Kill Fungal Biofilms

      Bottlebrush Nanoparticles Deliver Immunostimulatory Drugs

      Bottlebrush Nanoparticles Deliver Immunostimulatory Drugs

      Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA Therapy to the Lungs

      Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA Therapy to the Lungs

      Nanoparticles Get Lymphatic Vessels Pumping

      Nanoparticles Get Lymphatic Vessels Pumping

    • Military Medicine
      Wearable Can Take Multiple Sweat Samples

      Wearable Can Take Multiple Sweat Samples

      Wound Dressing Detects Infection, Changes Color

      Wound Dressing Detects Infection, Changes Color

      Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin

      Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin

      Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat

      Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat

    • Rehab
      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Brain Computer Interface Decodes Speech and Facial Expressions

      Brain Computer Interface Decodes Speech and Facial Expressions

      Semi-Automated Manufacture of E-Skin Sensors

      Semi-Automated Manufacture of E-Skin Sensors

      Above Elbow Amputee Controls Individual Bionic Fingers

      Above Elbow Amputee Controls Individual Bionic Fingers

  • Categories
    • Exclusive
    • A-D
      • Anesthesiology
      • Art
      • Cardiac Surgery
      • Cardiology
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diagnostics
    • E-I
      • Emergency Medicine
      • ENT
      • Genetics
      • Geriatrics
      • GI
      • Informatics
    • M-N
      • Medicine
      • Military Medicine
      • Nanomedicine
      • Net News
      • Neurology
      • Neurosurgery
      • Nuclear Medicine
    • O-P
      • Ob/Gyn
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopedic Surgery
      • Pathology
      • Pediatrics
      • Plastic Surgery
      • Psychiatry
      • Public Health
    • R-V
      • Radiation Oncology
      • Radiology
      • Rehab
      • Reproductive Medicine
      • Space Medicine
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Thoracic Surgery
      • Urology
      • Vascular Surgery
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Submit PR
  • About
  • Log in
  • Submit PR
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • RSS

Scientists: Is Sleep Essential?

August 27th, 2008 Medgadget Editors News

Writing in the latest PLoS Biology, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, Madison are wondering whether sleep is really a biological necessity, or maybe it’s just a function created by evolution to kill time and avoid stress.
From the article in PLoS Biology:

Everybody knows that sleep is important, yet the function of sleep seems like the mythological phoenix: “Che vi sia ciascun lo dice, dove sia nessun lo sa” (“that there is one they all say, where it may be no one knows,” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte [1790], Così fan tutte). But what if the search for an essential function of sleep is misguided? What if sleep is not required but rather a kind of extreme indolence that animals indulge in when they have no more pressing needs, such as eating or reproducing? In many circumstances sleeping may be a less dangerous choice than roaming around, wasting energy and exposing oneself to predators. Also, if sleep is just one out of a repertoire of available behaviors that is useful without being essential, it is easier to explain why sleep duration varies so much across species. This “null hypothesis” would explain why nobody has yet identified a core function of sleep. But how strong is the evidence supporting it? And are there counterexamples?
So far the null hypothesis has survived better than alternatives positing some core function for sleep [8–10]. In what follows we shall test the null hypothesis by considering three of its key corollaries. If the null hypothesis were right, we would expect to find: (1) animals that do not sleep at all; (2) animals that do not need recovery sleep when they stay awake longer; and, finally, (3) that lack of sleep occurs without serious consequences.

Article in PLoS Biology: Is Sleep Essential?
Check out this illustration from the article that lists animal species in which the presence of sleep and/or Its homeostatic regulation have been called into question…

Medgadget Editors

Medical technologies transform the world! Join us and see the progress in real time. At Medgadget, we report the latest technology news, interview leaders in the field, and file dispatches from medical events around the world since 2004.

Sponsored

Viral Vector Manufacturing in Gene Therapy and Vaccine Development

Health and Clean Air: Why Indoor Ventilation Matters

Health and Clean Air: Why Indoor Ventilation Matters

New Survey Finds Strong Consumer Preference for More Natural Hernia Repair Options

MedTech Outlook 2023 for Latin America Released

MedTech Outlook 2023 for Latin America Released

Packaging Compliance Labs (PCL) Celebrates Site Expansion in Grand Rapids, MI

interviews & reviews
UV-Free Air Decontamination: Interview with Sorel Rothschild, VP at Quantum Innovations

UV-Free Air Decontamination: Interview with Sorel Rothschild, VP at Quantum Innovations

EarliPoint Evaluation System for ASD Diagnosis: Interview with Tom Ressemann, CEO of EarliTec Dx

EarliPoint Evaluation System for ASD Diagnosis: Interview with Tom Ressemann, CEO of EarliTec Dx

Visually Guided Uterine Biopsies in Physician’s Office: Interview with Allison London Brown, CEO of LUMINELLE

Visually Guided Uterine Biopsies in Physician’s Office: Interview with Allison London Brown, CEO of LUMINELLE

AI-Powered Pain Relief: Interview with Claire Smith, VP at Nevro

AI-Powered Pain Relief: Interview with Claire Smith, VP at Nevro

MISHA Knee Shock Absorber: Interview with Anton Clifford, CEO of Moximed

MISHA Knee Shock Absorber: Interview with Anton Clifford, CEO of Moximed

Shelf-Stable Breast Milk Powder: Interview with Dr. Vansh Langer, CEO at BBy

Shelf-Stable Breast Milk Powder: Interview with Dr. Vansh Langer, CEO at BBy

"We Are Electric" by Sally Adee: Medgadget Interviews the Author

"We Are Electric" by Sally Adee: Medgadget Interviews the Author

  • Subscribe
  • Contact us
  • Submit
  • About
  • Back to top
Medgadget

Medical technologies transform the world! Join us and see the progress in real time. At Medgadget, we report the latest technology news, interview leaders in the field, and file dispatches from medical events around the world since 2004.

  • About
  • Editorial policies
  • Contact
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
  • Submit press release
  • Advertise
© Medgadget, Inc. All rights reserved. | The Medical Revolution Will Be Blogged.
Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! Thank you!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email