Boris Rasco, in his book, Why We Sleep, (well it's really more of a pamphlet) says, "All animals sleep, especially those enrolled in night classes at local community colleges."  According to Rasco sleep is broken into three parts.  Pre-sleep, which is actually sleep (so there is no real reason for the word "pre"), is this part of sleep that calms our minds–and why shouldn’t it, us being asleep and all.  The second type of sleep is REM sleep; or rapid eye movement sleep. This type of sleep is believed to be where dreaming occurs.  According to Rasco, dreaming gives us something to do while we are asleep.  Otherwise we would get bored and wake up.  Dreaming sleep can be quite active and some people require a short nap afterwards.  The third type of sleep is Feigned sleep, which is observed in young children who want to be carried in from the car after long drives at night; and in husbands when it is their turn to take out the garbage.

    Little is known about sleep, but first-hand scientific study is difficult because people who sleep are not awake while they do it.  Researchers have to rely on what their subjects remember about sleep, later when they wake up, which usually isn’t very much because the subjects were asleep all the time.  For this reason, most experts on sleep are not people who actually sleep well, but are people who have watched large numbers of other people sleep (which, for the most part, is not really all that much to watch).  This is why scientists don’t know much about sleep.

    There is no reported commercial use for sleep.  Motels provide a place to sleep and would loose about one third of their business if people quit sleeping.  While other human activities have become sports, there is no development in the arena of competitive sleeping.  Nor has sleep been developed as an amusement park ride, or except for its use by the occasional nightclub hypnotist, entertainment.  We do know that sleep is the opposite of "awake," but that isn’t really very helpful.

    People who have difficulty getting sleep may have a condition called insomnia.  One major result of lack of sleep is getting bags under your eyes.  After prolonged lack of sleep (which scientists call, "prolonged lack of sleep") some people experience psychotic interludes, while others simply take up stamp collecting. 

    Insomnia can be very dangerous if left untreated.  The early stages of insomnia are were described by, "Hank" (not his real name):  "The onset was like a ringing sound, almost like a telephone.  After I realized that his phone was ringing, so he answered it."  Even though Hank was drowsy after the phone call, he resisted the urge to doze off by grabbing a cup of strong tea, while he searched the internet for a cure.     

    A five year study of people who were especially gifted at sleep showed they all had techniques in common, including:  a) getting ready for bed;  b) going to bed;  c) lying there; and,  d) falling asleep.

    Although he could barely keep his eyes open the next day, he contacted a doctor who gave him some little white pills and a strong warning not to over do it.  He considered grabbing a few winks the next dawn, but two more pills got him over that hurdle.  After a productive week he was out of pills, but too embarrassed to admit he had ignored his doctor’s the warning.  After three weeks Hank had four doctors giving him pills and warnings, but still no cure for insomnia. 

    Fortunately for Hank, before his insomnia got any worse, he caught the McNeal - Lehrer News report and fell right to sleep. 

    Let the story of Hank be a reminder.  Any of us could just as easily fall prey too insomnia, or for that matter McNeal Lehrer.  Good night.