Studies have always suggested that a good sleep is crucial for healthy mental and physical well-being. Based on that, scientists from the University of Copenhagen further explored how a deep sleep cleanses toxins from the brain.
Prof. Maiken Nedergaard, the lead author of the study, explained a system called the glymphatic system, similar to "turning on the dishwasher before you go to bed and waking up with a clean brain." The system flushes out toxins from the brain during sleep, helping to preserve healthy brain function.
The author continued, "We're essentially asking what drives this process and trying to define restorative sleep based on glymphatic clearance."
Previously, several researchers have suggested that cleansing of the brain takes place during sleep, which was opposed by another group of scientists, who claimed that the process is faster during waking hours.
In the recent study, conducted on mice, the researchers focused on the role of norepinephrine, which was released by the brainstem every 50 seconds during the non-rapid eye movement sleep. The wave of norepinephrine generates oscillating blood volume, pushing the fluid around the brain to cleanse toxins.
"It is the oscillatory constriction-dilations that drive glymphatic flow," Nedergaard explained to Popular Science.
The researchers further revealed that on giving the mice Zolpidem, a common sleep medication, they found a 50 percent reduction in norepinephrine waves during sleep and a 30 percent decline in fluid flow in the brain, hinting that such medications hinder the cleansing process.
"More and more people are using sleep medication, and it's really important to know if that's healthy sleep," lead author Natalie Hauglund said.
"If people aren't getting the full benefits of sleep, they should be aware of that so they can make informed decisions".
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