Sleep is when your body heals itself and consolidates the memories that you have gathered during the day. Your body also prepares to detoxify itself during sleep. This is an important period of rest and recuperation for the body.
Here is an infographic containing a few vital facts about sleep.
As you can see, sleep has many benefits, it improves immunity and memory, as well as metabolism. So be sure to maintain a good sleep pattern as this is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle.