Why do we sleep?

[Paul Schlosser]

There was b brief spot on NPR this morning stating that the hormone
melatonin (sp?) is believed to "help people slpep."  The actual role of
melatonin is still not clear, it had been associated with the diurnal
cycle.  The most recent finding is that levels of melatonin decrease as
people age, corresponding to an increase in lack of (or decreased need for)
sleep.  This doesn't explain what purpose sleep has, but is apparently a
mechanism for why we feel sleepy in the evening.

Paul
schlosser at beta.ciit.org