Being in a natural state of rest with reduced consciousness and bodily activity.
From Old English 'slǣpan,' related to Germanic roots meaning to be slack or loose. Cognate with Dutch 'slapen' and German 'schlafen.' The original sense conveyed relaxation and letting go of tension.
Despite spending a third of our lives sleeping, it remains one of biology's greatest mysteries—we know it's essential for memory consolidation and cellular repair, yet the exact mechanisms of consciousness switching off and on again are still being unraveled. The universality of sleep across the animal kingdom suggests it evolved very early, yet its vulnerability makes it seem like a dangerous luxury.
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