Sleep Briefs: Sleep Cleanses the Mind

Sleep-related “brainwashing” and shrinking brain cells sound scary but may hold the key to treating debilitating neurological disorders like Alzherimer’s disease.

A recent study from New York’s University of Rochester Medical Center, published in the journal Science, shows that the brain’s glymphatic system, which washes away certain toxins from the brain, does most of its work during sleep. The toxins cleaned away include those responsible for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders.

In addition, the researchers learned that during sleep the brain’s cells reduce in size by 60% which allows the waste to be washed away more effectively.

(Article Source: Sleep Savvy Magazine March 2014)