Final answer:
True, sleep enables the brain to undergo restorative functions necessary for coping with change, consolidating memory, and maintaining cognitive functions. Insufficient sleep leads to sleep debt, which can impair alertness and overall health.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, rest and sleep do indeed allow the brain to cope with change. During sleep, the brain and body perform crucial restorative functions that are essential for our overall health and well-being. Sleep is a complex process involving multiple stages, including REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) stages that contribute to learning, memory consolidation, immune system function, and neuroplasticity. Lack of adequate sleep, or a sleep debt, can have adverse effects on cognitive functions, decreasing alertness and potentially leading to dangerous situations such as falling asleep while driving. Additionally, the brain's ability to adapt and change, known as neuroplasticity, is facilitated during sleep, indicating that rest is critical for the brain to process new experiences and information.