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Well that sounds impressive, but you’ll have to explain how we get “broken DNA”
Well, you have a lot of cells, really a lot, trillions (and 85 billions neurons in the brain). Each of these has chromosomes containing DNA. Different forms of stress on these cells can cause DNA damage — this includes radiation, but also oxidative stress caused by natural bodily processes.
And sleep helps clear this up?
Yes, it seems that the body can’t keep up with clearing up and repairing this damage during waking hours. According to a recent study Zada et al. from Bar-Illan University in Israel we need sleep to do chromosome and DNA maintenance on our neurons. Failure to do this leads to DNA damage accumulating which can quickly become dangerous.
Well that sounds like a pretty important reason to sleep!
Indeed, we know sleep is really important for many processes — I have just recently written a short summary. But this latest research adds another bit to the compelling evidence of why the brain and body needs sleep. And why we need to spend a third of our lives barely conscious!
So get a good night’s sleep!
And make it regular!
