EVERYONEhasthosenights–youlieinyourbedforhourstossingandturningtotallyunabletofallasleep.Youwishyoucouldjustturnyourbrainoffasifitwerealight.Thatwouldmakethingsmucheasierwouldn’tit?
Nowitlookslikeyouareonestepclosertothiswilddreamofyours–scientistsfromOxfordUniversityUKhavejustdiscoveredthe“switch”thattellsthebraintogotosleepreportedForbes.
Tounderstandthestudyyoufirstneedtoknowthattherearetwomechanisms(机能)thatregulatesleep.There’sonethatwe’realreadyfamiliarwith–ourbodyclockwhichworksina24-hourcyclebasedonthelightchangesthroughouttheday.
Theotheroneiswhatscientistscallthesleep“homeostat(动态平衡系统)”.Thismechanismhasnothingtodowithdaylight.Insteaditkeepstrackofthebrain’swakinghoursandurgesittorestifithasbeenawakeforalongtime.“Itissimilartothethermostat(自动调温器)inyourhome.Athermostatmeasurestemperatureandswitchesontheheatingifit’stoocold”ProfessorGeroMiesenböckwholedthestudytoldTheTelegraph.
Ourbodiesusebothofthemechanismstoregulatesleep.“Thebodyclocksaysit’stherighttimeandthesleepthermostathasbuiltuppressureduringalongwakingday”explainedMiesenböck.
Thereisnowaythatscientistscantrickthebodyclock.Butwiththesleephomeostattheremightbesomethingtheycando.
Theresearchersfoundthatthesleephomeostatworksbyactivatingaspecificgroupofnervecellsorneuronsinthebrain.Theytestedtheirtheoryonfruitfliesbyremovingtheneuronsfromtheinsects’brains.Andasexpectedtheyfoundthattheflieswithoutthehomeostatneuronsdidnotkeeparegularsleeppatternanymore.
Nowthatscientistshavepinpointed(定位)theexactplaceinthebrain–orthe“switch”–thatregulatessleeptheycanbegininvestigating(研究)howtoactivatethesecellsatanygiventimesothatpeoplecanbesenttosleepinstantly.
Moreimportantlyfiguringouthowsleepmechanismsworkmayalsohelpustoonedayunraveloneoftheoldestmysteriesofall:whydoweneedtosleepinthefirstplace?
小题1:Whatisthearticlemainlyabout?
