We spend 1/3rd of our life asleep, which suggests it is doing something very important. But, what is all of this for? And why does every animal species appear to need sleep? Based on the latest neuroscientific research Penny Lewis shows why sleep is thought to be critical for combining and restructuring memories, and thus to form the basis of creativity.

Penny (Penelope) Lewis is a neuroscientist at the University of Manchester, where she runs the Neuroscience and Psychology of Sleep (NaPS) lab. Her research investigates the role of sleep in strengthening and altering memories and the ways people can use this to their advantage. She is the author of The Secret World of Sleep, which has sold around 10,000 copies, and has written for a variety of popular science publications, including New Scientist, Scientific American and BBC Focus.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx