Siestas: a good idea for the brain
3 June 2006
by Carina Lee
New research suggests that siestas, short naps in the afternoon, may be a good idea for improved function of our brains. The report, published in the Journal Neuron, discusses the biochemistry of our brain cells that keep us alert and how they become inactive after eating a meal. Head researcher, Dr Denis Burdakov, from the University of Manchester explains “It has been known for a while that people and animals can become sleepy and less active after a meal, but brain signals responsible for this were poorly understood.” The way this functions in our bodies is simply due to the discovery that glucose (blood sugar) has the ability to suppress the necessary brain signals that keep us alert and awake. As the concentration of glucose increases after we have eaten a meal, research reveals how orexin-producing neurons are inhibited by glucose. Glucose is able to suppress orexins even in the smallest of amounts due to its increased sensitivity. This new discovery is quite possibly a suitable explanation as to why people get tired after eating and the difficulty of sleeping while hungry.
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