Bad night’s sleep? Try a HEAD RUSH!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Rapid eye movement – or REM – sleep is important not only for dreaming, but our mental health too. Does that mean we NEED to dream?
Enter Chia-Jung Tsai and colleagues at the University of Tsukuba.
They injected twelve mice with light up dye, and put them under a microscope to measure blood flow.
Results?
Blood flow was about the same in mice who were awake or in non-R-E-M sleep. But during R-E-M sleep, TWICE as much blood rushed through their brains!
The team believes while we dream, this surge of blood helps wash out and refresh the brain. Stimulating this clean-up job could lead to treatments for some brain disorders.
Time for a power wash… I mean power nap!
Reference: Tsai, C., Nagata, T., Liu, C. et al. Cerebral capillary blood flow upsurge during REM sleep is mediated by A2a receptors. Cell Reports, 36(7) (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109558