Why are Elves immune to sleep effects?

[Whale_Cancer]

Simple question. Why are elves immune to sleep effects? As in, what is the justification or origin of this ability?

Is it because in editions past elves meditated for 4 hours rather than sleeping?

Any insight appreciated.

[Jeff Erwin]

It comes from Tolkien, where sleep was optional for elves, though admittedly, in the Hobbit, the drunken elves do fall asleep.

[Dover Pro]

I believe you are correct about Elves resistance to sleep effects.

Elves meditating ultimately comes from "Lord of the Rings", the books, where Legolas is described as "walking in dreams" instead of sleeping.

-Dover

[Michael Sayre]

Elves in older editions also didn't actually sleep, they had that Reverie thing for meditation. While that little bit of flavor isn't really strongly in force any more, elves kept the immunity to being forced to sleep.

[Whale_Cancer]

Thank you gentleman. This kind of annoys me given Golarion elves sleep normally!

[Roberta Yang]

They cut the meditating even though it left mechanics like this hanging there without obvious flavor.

They kept the half-orc rape thing though, that was a tradition that couldn't possibly be abandoned.

Priorities.

[CylonDorado]

Elves have the best coffee, which they never share with lesser races.

That's my working theory.

[Immortalis]

Its a carry over from the first rules from wargaming, chainmail or some sort. Sleep was a very good spell and could put lots of troops to sleep in 1 shot. So when they added non-human races they wanted them to have benefits and so elves became immune to sleep, not just didnt really need it as roleplay wasnt a big deal back then yet. From there it has just stuck.

[Buri]

If you want to chalk it up to something keep in mind it's a race that each member can live for a thousand years (longer than most empires exist), have an unclear link to Fey and came from a magical home world far away.

Surely you can concoct a reasoning based off one of those.