Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake.Įveryone needs sleep, but its biological purpose remains a mystery. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. Without sleep you can’t form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories, and it’s harder to concentrate and respond quickly. Quality sleep – and getting enough of it at the right times - is as essential to survival as food and water. Sleep is an important part of your daily routine-you spend about one-third of your time doing it.