Midnight Awakening May Increase Brain Function

Sep, 2022 - by CMI

The rejuvenating phase of sleep, according to the researchers, is fuelled by noradrenaline waves. Waves of norepinephrine, which are equally crucial for memory, cause the brief awakenings.

Numerous people wake up in the middle of the night and require a lot of coffee to keep alert the next day. Most people consider unbroken sleep to be essential for excellent sleep. According to recent studies from the University of Copenhagen, the stress hormone noradrenaline leads people to wake up frequently at night. It can even indicate that the individual has slept well as it is all a natural aspect of a good night's sleep. Despite the fact that noradrenaline theoretically makes the brain awaken more frequently at night, it isn't considered to be waking up by most people.

The stress hormone and transmitter noradrenaline is linked to the battle reaction in the body. This was where the team spotted the high levels of noradrenaline. While the animals slept, the researchers analysed the noradrenaline levels and connected them to the electrical impulses in their brains. Low levels of noradrenaline indicate falling asleep, while high levels indicate the brain is momentarily awake.

Sleep helps the body rid itself of waste and improves memory. This study likewise focused on memory, and the results indicate that the mice with the most profound noradrenaline valleys also had the best memories. "Super memory" was acquired by the mice. Things they had learnt the day before were easier for them to recall.  This implies that the noradrenaline dynamic increases the memory-affecting sleep processes.

However, certain antidepressants raise the body's noradrenaline levels, increasing the likelihood that there would be very few deep sleep valleys. According to the study, this could have an impact on memory. In light of this, the researchers need to pay close attention to how various medications that control the high wave noradrenaline . More research will be required in the future to create medications that do not interfere with noradrenaline waves that occur during sleep.