What it means to sleep

It's funny. Psychologists still can't agree on what the "purpose" of sleep is. Some say it's a deeply rooted evolutionary habit (sleep through the dangers of the night, live to see another day), and nothing more. Others see it as a mental "reset" button, a necessary escape, and a mental break. Still others are simply baffled by the miracle of it all. During sleep you experience periods of paralysis, deep and shallow levels of awareness, and other interesting REM sciency stuff.
It's always been incredibly handy that I can practically fall asleep on a whim. Yes, I sleep deeply and I can fall asleep quickly, but I don't posses any sort of "super natural" power to do so. Sometimes ease into alertness but keep my eyes closed in the imitation of sleep. Sometimes my mind is ready to be awake but I just can't bring myself to ... move. Not yet, anyway. I know that EVERYBODY does this to some extent and from time to time.
Besides,
Sleep is such a great excuse. It's the "period card" of the normal world: a valid excuse to get out of almost any social activity, excuse to be a bum, and assurance to be left alone. People will interrupt you if they see you reading or listening to music, or doing virtually any other activity, but they will always let you sleep.

But what fascinates me most is  what can happen when someone thinks you are asleep.

I heard some closet conversations. Dear Aria, no one falls asleep that quickly. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop...
 
But it was simple and sweet, and I liked hearing it. I knew I'd eventually tune it out and fall asleep, but it was nice to lay there and let it lull me to sleep.

And sometimes you hear things that you were never supposed to hear. Something you never expected or didn't want to. A restless roommate, punching her pillow at 4 in the morning... and then something like a sob. I didn't want to, it wasn't planned and I wasn't prepared... but it happened. And it's strange to think how little I know the girl who sleeps less than 10 feet from me every night. How totally powerless I was to help her. But I can't erase that intimate moment, when I saw her hidden pain.

Absolute and childish peace falls on the faces of those who sleep. And it's beautiful. The deep rhythmic breathing, or the funny contortions people sometimes fall into. I hate to be like Edward Cullen, but there's something therapeutic in watching someone sleep.

When others are asleep, the cares of the world are erased from the lines of your face.

When you dream (Too bad you can't get exercise through your dreams) your mind betrays your obsessions, fears, and hopes.

When you snore. Well.... ;)

What a strange thing sleep is.