The surprising result from the University of Basel’s new Nature study is not merely that silencing two populations of sleep-drive neurons cut NREM sleep by nearly 70%. It is that most mice survived, remained highly engaged and retained long-term memories—although 17% died—raising the possibility that the brain’s pressure to sleep is not identical to the body’s underlying need for it.
Source ↗
👁 0
💬 0
Researchers cut non-rapid eye movement sleep in mice by nearly 70 percent by chronically inhibiting two populations of brainstem neurons. Most treated animals survived for weeks, stayed unusually active and retained one learned association, while 16.7 percent died.
The result, reported by William Joo and colleagues in a Nature paper published on August 19, 2026, does not make sleep optional. It suggests that a circuit generating the pressure to sleep can be altered separately from at least some
The result, reported by William Joo and colleagues in a Nature paper published on August 19, 2026, does not make sleep optional. It suggests that a circuit generating the pressure to sleep can be altered separately from at least some
Comments (0)