Aging and Brain Research

We all know how it feels after a bad night’s sleep — foggy brain, drifting focus, maybe even a short fuse. But new research shows what’s really happening inside your head during those moments: your brain may literally be trying to wash itself clean. While you sleep, a clear liquid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows rhythmically through your brain, washing away the waste that builds up during the day. This nightly rinse also helps rebalance neurotransmitters - the brain’s chemical messengers that regulate mood, focus, and emotion.  When you don’t get enough rest, your brain tries to compensate. Researchers at MIT recently found that during lapses in attention caused by sleep deprivation, waves of CSF flow out of the brain - almost as if your brain is sneaking in mini “cleansing naps.” But there’s a catch: these cleansing waves come at the cost of momentary attention failure. In other words, when you zone out after a sleepless night, your brain may literally be scrubbing itself -...