Keeping watch while you sleep (DW#693)
Our Creator is simply awesome!
In the animal kingdom, animals need to protect themselves from predators. This means that sleeping would be risky in that they might get attacked, right?
Well interestingly, some actually sleep with half their brain awake while the other half sleeps. As Michael says, "Mother Nature had no choice. Sleep with both sides of the brain, or sleep with just one side and then switch. Both are possible, but sleep you must. Sleep is nonnegotiable."
Here is one example: when birds are alone, they sleep with one eye open. One eye’s open, the other one’s shut—allowing half their brains to sleep while the other half gets a reboot.
Interestingly, when a bunch of birds together, you may observe them line up in a row with the birds on the inside enjoying two-eyes-shut full sleep while the birds on the ends have one eye open and half their brains asleep. Midway through the sleep session the birds on the end will turn the other direction and shut the other eye to give the other half of their brain some sleep.
WOW. How cool is that?
So, how does this relate to human beings?
Firstly, it is important to remember that anything THAT universal MUST have an incredibly strong biological reason for its existence.
Secondly, for those of us anxious types who find it hard to sleep because we are worrying about safety, let creational biology take care of your safety: Research shows that in new or dangerous situations, "one half of the brain sleeps a little lighter than the other, as if it’s standing guard with just a tad more vigilance due to the potentially less safe context that the conscious brain has registered while awake."
I wish I knew this before checking in alone into new hotel rooms! I know now that I let go and let my unconscious brain keep me safe while I sleep!
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