ABSTRACT
Although we spend about one-third of our lives asleep, the function of sleep is not known. Sleep consists of two alternating states, namely rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. During REM sleep, dreaming occurs. This is accompanied by maintenance of synaptic connections and
increased cerebral blood flow. Non-REM sleep includes sleep of different depths, and in the deepest form the electroencephalogram (EEG) shows a slow wave pattern, growth hormone is secreted and protein synthesis occurs.
