Sleep is periodic withdrawal of active self-referential modelling for structural consolidation, Tau-flow waste clearance (glymphatic system), synaptic scaling, and memory consolidation into long-term Tau-address storage.
NREM slow-wave sleep is structural consolidation; REM sleep is internal self-processing (dreams, emotional Tau-pattern integration, creative Tau-combination). Early cycles SWS-dominant; later cycles REM-dominant.
Dreams are the output of the Tau-mirror's internal self-processing during REM — Tau-patterns activated and run through self-referential modelling without external standing-wave constraint. Personally meaningful and narratively bizarre for the same reason.
After 17 hours without sleep, cognitive performance equals blood alcohol 0.05%. After 24 hours, 0.10%. Sustained denial of the maintenance cycle causes Tau-flow waste accumulation, consolidation failure, and signal dysregulation.
The circadian clock synchronises the Tau-mirror's maintenance cycle to Earth's 24-hour Tau-period via light-sensitive Tau-signals. Circadian disruption (shift work, jet lag) desynchronises the cycle, degrading maintenance quality even when sleep hours are preserved.
The transition from waking to sleep produces vivid imagery and hypnic jerks as external Tau-signal gating relaxes and internal Tau-patterns briefly activate without reality-testing constraint. Hypnic jerks are somatic Tau-substrate system checks.