Getting a good night’s sleep ‘clears the mind’ by removing potentially toxic proteins from the brain, study finds
- In the study, researchers examined fruit flies’ brain activity and behaviour
- The neurons that govern flies’ sleep cycles are surprisingly similar to our own
- During deep sleep, the flies repeatedly extended and retracted their snouts
- This pumping motion facilitates waste clearance and aids in injury recovery
It’s something that’s drilled into us from a young age, and now a new study has reaffirmed just how important it is to get a good night’s sleep.
Researchers found that getting a good night’s sleep – defined by the NHS as six to nine hours – ‘clears the mind’ by removing potentially dangerous toxins from the brain.
This includes toxic proteins that may lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, indicating that deep sleep could be key to maintaining brain health.
Researchers found that getting a good night’s sleep ‘clears the mind’ by removing potentially toxic proteins from the brain (stock image)
In the study, researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago examined fruit flies’ brain activity and behaviour.
While the insects may seem very different to humans, the neurons that govern flies’ sleep-wake cycles are surprisingly similar to our own.
For this reason, fruit flies are often used as model organisms for sleep and neurodegenerative diseases.
In the study, the team examined proboscis extension sleep – a deep sleep stage in fruit flies that’s similar to deep sleep in humans.
During this stage, the researchers found that the fruit flies repeatedly extended and retracted their proboscis (snout) in a pumping motion.
Dr Ravi Allada, senior author of the study, explained: ‘This pumping motion moves fluids possibly to the fly version of the kidneys.
‘Our study shows that this facilitates waste clearance and aids in injury recovery.’
The team then impaired the flies’ deep sleep, and found that the insects were less able to clear an injected dye from their systems, and were more susceptible to traumatic injuries.
In the study, researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago examined fruit flies’ brain activity and behaviour. While the insects may seem very different to humans, the neurons that govern flies’ sleep-wake cycles are surprisingly similar to our own
Dr Allada said: ‘Waste clearance may occur during wake and sleep but is substantially enhanced during deep sleep.’
The researchers hope the findings will help to unravel the mystery of why all organisms need sleep.
‘Our finding that deep sleep serves a role in waste clearance in the fruit fly indicates that waste clearance is an evolutionary conserved core function of sleep,’ Dr Allada added.
‘This suggests that waste clearance may have been a function of sleep in the common ancestor of flies and humans.’
The NHS advises that most adults need around six to nine hours sleep a night.
It said: ‘By working out what time you need to wake up, you can set a regular bedtime schedule.
‘It is also important to try and wake up at the same time every day. While it may seem like a good idea to try to catch up on sleep after a bad night, doing so on a regular basis can also disrupt your sleep routine.’