Good sleep helps the brain to clear itself

The activity of neurons during the day requires constant energy production by mitochondria. The byproduct of this process is reactive oxygen species, which damage the fat molecules inside the cells. This results in oxidized lipids that can destroy cellular structures if they are not removed from the nervous tissue in time.

It turned out that it is in the state of sleep that the orderly process of cleansing tissues is started. The damaged components from the neurons are transferred to the helper cells, glia. There, some of the toxic fats are broken down for energy, and the rest is released into the bloodstream through specific receptors. This provides neurons with access to clean power sources and supports their functionality.

In addition to transporting lipids, sleep activates autophagy, a mechanism for the planned processing of damaged organelles. During the same period, the permeability of the barrier between the brain and blood increases, which accelerates the excretion of metabolic products. With chronic rest deficiency, harmful compounds accumulate, preventing the normal transmission of electrical signals between cells.

The most important part of the discovery concerns the connection with degenerative pathologies. It has been established that a violation of the mechanisms of night cleansing directly correlates with the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In people with a specific variant of the APOE protein, the transfer of lipids from neurons to glia is difficult at the genetic level. Lack of sleep exacerbates this defect, accelerating the destruction of tissues due to an excess of unrefined metabolic products.

This information allows us to consider the daily routine as a method of primary prevention of cognitive disorders. Understanding cellular processes makes it possible to create new approaches to neurodegeneration therapy. The biological role of sleep is to maintain the physiological integrity of each brain cell.