New discovery about insomnia: Brain cells that age us also control sleep

Most of us go to bed early to get as much sleep as possible. But research informs us that the duration of sleep can determine how quickly we age and how susceptible we are to disease. The study from the University of Oxford reveals the internal stress that ages cells and can cause disease also activates the neurons that control sleep. Scientists hope that this will bring us one step closer to understanding the mystery of sleep and solving the problem of insomnia.

THE research was conducted by Professor Jero Miesenbock, director of the Center for Neural Circulation and Behavior. Internal stress occurs when there is an imbalance between antioxidants and free chemicals in the body. Free chemicals are oxygen-containing molecules that can cause tissue damage. The lack of antioxidants means that this wear and tear cannot be prevented.

This causes oxidative stress in cells and is thought to be the cause of aging. "Our new research shows that this kind of stress activates the neurons that regulate when we go to sleep." To determine how sleep affects our health, researchers analyzed small flies that have a set of neurons that control our sleep patterns. Previous research has shown that these neurons act like an on/off switch. When the cells are active, the fly is asleep and when they are inactive, the insect is awake.

We already knew that the key difference between sleep and wakefulness is how much electrical current flows through two ion channels called Shaker and Sandman.
During sleep, most current passes through the Shaker. Ion channels generate and control the electrical impulses through which brain cells communicate. Finding this mechanism could prevent the side effects of sleeping pills, mainly confusion and addiction.