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Sleep

·July 18, 2025·7 min read

Sleeping Brain Reveals Clues to Hidden Disorders

The brain remains highly active during sleep, and mapping this activity can reveal early signs of neurological and sleep disorders. Using rare intracranial EEG data, researchers refined methods to distinguish functional areas of the cerebral cortex based on their unique electrical activity, even at rest.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 18, 2025·5 min read

Sleep to Consciousness: How the Brain Transitions from Dreams to Reality

Each morning, your brain undergoes a precise sequence to shift from sleep to wakefulness, reorienting you to the world. A study using high-density EEG recordings found that awakening begins in frontal regions and spreads backward, with distinct patterns depending on whether you wake from REM or non-REM sleep.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 13, 2025·2 min read

Oxytocin Protects Mood During Sleep Loss

New research suggests oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” may help protect women from mood disturbances caused by sleep disruption and hormonal changes during postpartum and menopause. In a controlled study, women with higher oxytocin levels before sleep fragmentation reported fewer mood symptoms the following day.

This shows a person sleeping and cheese.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 1, 2025·6 min read

Eating Dairy May Trigger Nightmares

A new study links lactose intolerance and food sensitivities to disrupted sleep and frequent nightmares. Researchers surveyed over 1,000 students and found that those with dairy intolerance reported more vivid and disturbing dreams, likely due to nighttime gastrointestinal discomfort.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 28, 2025·4 min read

Sleep Learning: How Synapses Strengthen While We Rest

New research reveals how synaptic connections in the cerebral cortex can strengthen during sleep, offering insight into how the brain continues learning even while we rest. Using computer simulations, researchers demonstrated that synaptic activity during sleep follows known "synaptic learning rules" when neural activity reaches specific thresholds.

This shows a person sleeping and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·5 min read

Short Naps Linked to “Aha” Moments and Creative Insight

A new study suggests that a short nap, especially one reaching deeper N2 sleep, can significantly boost problem-solving insight. Participants who achieved N2 sleep were far more likely to discover a hidden shortcut in a task after napping.

Neuroscience

·June 23, 2025·6 min read

Sleep’s Secret Sequence May Sculpt Our Memories Like a Garden

A new theory suggests that the order of sleep phases—non-REM followed by REM—is essential for strengthening and organizing memories. In mice studies and computational models, researchers found that non-REM sleep reinforces new memories, while REM sleep prunes overlapping or irrelevant ones, keeping them distinct.

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Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 19, 2025·6 min read

How Sleep Deprivation Amplifies Pain in Migraine

New research reveals that sleep deprivation alters how the brain processes pain in people with migraines. Using EEG and pain stimulation, scientists found that migraine sufferers’ brains respond differently after poor sleep, showing reduced ability to suppress pain signals.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 18, 2025·4 min read

Teen Sleep Patterns May Shape Brain Disorder Risk

Disrupting circadian rhythms during adolescence may alter how the brain responds to prenatal infections, a known risk factor for disorders like schizophrenia and autism. In a new mouse study, researchers found that each factor alone changed behavior and brain activity, but their combination produced unique effects—sometimes even counteracting one another.

This shows a person sleeping and a bowl of fruit.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 13, 2025·5 min read

Fruits and Veggies Boost Sleep Quality

A new study finds that eating more fruits and vegetables during the day is linked to improved sleep quality that same night. Researchers discovered that participants who consumed more produce experienced fewer sleep disruptions, including less waking and shallower sleep.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 12, 2025·2 min read

Weekend Catch-Up Sleep Boost May Lower Teen Anxiety

A new study reveals that teenagers who get moderate catch-up sleep—up to two extra hours—on weekends report fewer symptoms of anxiety. Sleeping significantly more or less on weekends than on weekdays, however, was linked to higher anxiety levels.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 10, 2025·3 min read

Stress-Linked Brain Pathway Disrupts Sleep and Memory

New research reveals a stress-sensitive neural pathway that impairs both sleep and memory in male mice. Scientists activated neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, known for their role in stress response, which caused sleep loss and poor memory performance.