Sleep May Prepare You for Tomorrow by Dissolving Today’s Neural Connections

Sleep May Prepare You for Tomorrow by Dissolving Today’s Neural Connections : "Sleep may be a way to sweep out the brain and get it ready for a new day of building connections between neurons, according to two new studies of fruit flies. The studies support the controversial theory that sleep weakens or entirely dissolves some synapses, the connections between brain cells. “We assume that if this is happening, it is a major function, if not the most important function, of sleep” [Science News], says Chiara Cirelli, a coauthor of the first study, published in Science.

Pruning synapses may be a practical necessity to keep the brain from being overwhelmed, says Paul Shaw, coauthor of the second study (also published in Science). “There are a number of reasons why the brain can’t indefinitely add synapses - including the finite spatial constraints of the skull. We were able to track the creation of new synapses in fruit flies during learning experiences - and to show that sleep pushed that number back down” [Telegraph], he says."