Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives

Sleep is an essential part of life-but more important, sleep is a gift.

We're beginning to realize that drowsiness or sleep deprivation, fatigue, is beginning to outstrip alcohol as a cause of accidents in transportation, particularly on the highway.

Given that the dreaming brain must perform these remarkable contortions - creating a world, living in it, responding to it, and then carefully blocking all the responses in a manner that does not cross the threshold of awareness - it is no wonder that this dreaming brain seems to be more active than the waking brain.

Dreaming is the opportunity to hold a citizenship in two worlds, equally real but with different logic and limitations.

Sleep deprivation is the most common brain impairment.