“Sleep Switch” Discovery Could Lead to Insomnia Cure

A new analysis of how we fall asleep could lead to new innovations to treat people with sleep disorders.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on September 16 2010

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Have you gotten a good night’s sleep recently? If not, you’re far from alone—about one in every eight Americans suffers from insomnia.

You’ve tried all the tired old cures like counting sheep and a warm bath, but you’re still all-too-familiar with the wee hours of the morning. It feels like there’s a switch in your brain that just won’t shift to the “off” position, but no one can tell you how to move it.

Until now. Researchers at Washington State University have just pinpointed the mechanism that links brain activity to sleep.

The scientists studied adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a chemical released by the brain cells that induces sleep. While their findings are far more technical than we can describe (see the study if you want to get into the nitty-gritty), they discovered that sleep is a “local phenomenon,” said neuroscientist James Krueger. “Bits and pieces of the brain sleep.”

The researchers’ findings shine new light on insomnia and other sleep disorders, and may lead to innovative new treatments in sleep therapy. There’s no telling how soon we’ll see practical solutions from this study, but we’re hopeful these new findings will help millions of overtired people get some much-needed rest.

Filed under: Health and Wellbeing, Science,

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