Week4 Draft4

There are several theories to why animals must sleep. Some of these theories include the "repair and restoration theory," "evolutionary theory," and "information consolidation theory." The repair and restoration theory suggests that the physiological processes are restored and revitalized when organisms sleep. This also ties into the other theories, which are likewise interconnected. The evolutionary theory suggests that sleep was an adaptation that was helpful in reducing activity when energy needed to be conserved due to lack of food in the environment. Information consolidation, similarly to the repair and restoration theory, suggests that sleep helps process information gathered from the day, and plays a role in helping processing information from the following period of being awake. However, these theories do not fully capture why it is necessary to sleep, and some biologists have made claims that sleep is one of evolution's biggest flaws, because sleeping organisms are prone to threats such as predators.