The brain that (not) sleeps

Abstract

Research conducted over the last 20 years on sleep and the effects of its deprivation have shown that sleep has an essential role in maintaining psychophysical well-being and body efficiency. Thanks to new techniques such as high-density electroencelography (which involve recording brain activity from up to 256 electrodes), it has become possible to precisely locate the source of the electric waves that are generated during sleep. It was thus discovered that sleep is not a global and uniform phenomenon and that wakefulness and sleep can, in part, “coexist.” In fact, during wakefulness parts of the brain can temporarily fall asleep - especially after prolonged “use” - with negative consequences for behavioral performance. On the other hand, during nocturnal sleep, partial awakenings of some brain regions seem to underlie the generation and development of our dreams. A second article will deal with studies aimed at manipulating sleep and dreams to understand
their functions and their physiological significance. The “TweakDreams” project directed by the author deals with methods and approaches aimed at modulating the ermegence and content of conscious experiences during sleep.