Scientists discover new ‘sleep node’

Scientists have discovered a new feature of the brain which controls how people fall into deep sleep.

A study undertaken by the Harvard School of Medicine and the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences unearthed only the second ever 'sleep node' in a mammalian brain that influences the ability to sleep deeply.

The scientists found half of all the brain's sleep-promoting activity comes from the parafacial zone in the brainstem and a specific type of neuron located there creates neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is responsible for deep sleep.

It is hoped this discovery will help to develop new sleep therapies and treatments for conditions such as insomnia.

Caroline Bass, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, stated: "We can now answer fundamental questions of brain function, which have traditionally been beyond our reach, including the 'why' of sleep, one of the more enduring mysteries in the neurosciences."

The results of the study were first published in the journal Nature Neuroscience last month.