The amount of salt in our body changes depending on whether we are taking a nap or going about our day and for the first time, researchers are able to show these changes. The Copenhagen study shows that when salt levels are influenced within mice, their sleep-wake cycles can be manipulated. Professor Maiken Nedergaard from the Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience at University of Copenhagen calls this discovery revealing, adding a whole new component to the understanding of exactly how the brain works. This offers insight into how sleep is controlled and also what may cause patterns in sleep to change. This new information will help further the understanding of individuals who suffer from convulsions when they do not get a proper night’s sleep, while others can miss sleep and continue to function for extended periods of time. This information could prove quite beneficial in the study of psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia, the confusion some people suffer from after receiving anesthesia and other health concerns related to a lack of sleep. http://sciencenewsjournal.com/amount-salt-brain-determines-sleep-cycles/
