Why Don’t People Value Sleep? Most people who don’t get enough sleep don’t recognize the toll that it takes on their cognitive and mental health. Many people think of sleep simply as a luxury -- a little downtime. They know they feel better when they get a good night’s sleep and worse when they don’t. But sleep actually improves learning, memory, and insight. “You’re putting energy in the bank when you go to sleep,” says Dr. Barry Krakow, medical director of Maimonides Sleep Arts and Sciences, Ltd. in Albuquerque, N.M., and author of Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night. “On a cellular level, the body is literally repairing and restoring itself. Without it, you can’t do what you want -- physically or mentally.”