Even mitochondria – the powerhouse of the cell – needs a nap sometimes!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
We know sleep is important. But what does it actually DO for our bodies?
Enter Raffaele Sarnataro and team from University of Oxford. They used fruit flies to study brain cells that regulate sleep. Some flies slept normally, while others were kept awake through gentle mechanical stimulation.
Turns out, tired cells had more mitochondrial activity. Excess energy production stressed the mitochondria, causing them to break down and rebuild. But the cool part? After sleeping, they recovered! That means sleep helps restore mitochondrial health.
Sleep isn’t just beauty rest, it’s a full cellular spa day.
Now that’s what I call a power nap!
Reference: Sarnataro, R., Velasco, C.D., Monaco, N. et al. Mitochondrial origins of the pressure to sleep. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09261-y