Sleep Rinses Your Brain

Did you know that when you sleep, your brain literally washes itself clean?

In 2013, researchers discovered that during sleep, the space between brain cells expands by about 60 percent, allowing fluid to easily flow through and flush away metabolic waste, including beta-amyloid, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease (Xie et al.).

They named this cleansing network the glymphatic system, adding a huge missing piece of the puzzle as to how sleep keeps us healthy. Years later, scientists followed up and further supported this research by looking at fluid changes more closely. Observing sleeping humans, they learned that during deep sleep, slow, rhythmic waves of fluid pulsed through the brain, synchronized with the gentle ebb and flow of brain activity (Fultz et al.).

So when you sleep, your brain cells get ready for a bath and your body turns on the faucet, resulting in a deeply cleansing nightly ritual—one that may play a large role in preventing future disease.

So next time you find yourself wanting to skimp out on a good night’s rest, remember that the consequences go far beyond how you’ll feel the next day. And next time you wake up feeling refreshed and raring to go, thank your amazing glymphatic system!