Exemplification Essay: Why People Need Sleep

People need sleep. Like food, water, and air, people also need to rest. In a day, everyone gets tired, and nobody is an exception to that. In order to achieve that rejuvenating rest, we need to sleep. No matter how much you eat or how fit you are, you will always need the right amount of sleep everyday.

When asked why we need sleep, most people answer, "to grow," says Leonel, 21, a cooking assistant at a hotel restaurant. He spends almost 10 hours a day preparing food for hotel visitors and when he gets home it's already so late that he falls asleep instantly as he lies down on his bed.

Growing is not only a physical thing but a mental one as well. Our brain cells rejuvenate and new ones are generated in our brains. Working people need enough sleep to function well in their tasks and duties.

1) Definition of Sleep

If you wonder why people fall asleep or need sleep in the first place, you must understand the importance of sleep. Scientifically, sleep is the body's way of replenishing itself of lost elements. Sleep is also the time when the body slowly metabolizes what you have eaten or when the nutrients in your body get distributed. While sleeping, your body processes are at a low-power state but still it continues to rejuvenate and recharge you until you wake up.

There are five stages of sleep, all of which are important in attaining that most relaxing state of being. These are stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

Stage 1 is when eye movement slows down and muscles tend to reduce activity as well. This stage is considered light sleeping, when you can be awakened easily.

Stage 2 is when rapid brain waves slow down.

Stage 3 is when brain waves called delta waves achieve a slower pace and become intertwined with smaller and faster brain