{"id":172743,"date":"2025-02-04T08:25:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T07:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/hjernen-renser-sig-selv-naar-du-sover-hvis-du-sover-saadan-her\/"},"modified":"2025-02-04T10:20:16","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T09:20:16","slug":"your-brain-flushes-out-toxins-if-you-sleep-properly-that-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/your-brain-flushes-out-toxins-if-you-sleep-properly-that-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Your brain flushes out toxins \u2013 if you sleep properly, that is"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all do it. Some more than others, and some better than others. We all need sleep to cleanse our brains of waste products. The driving force behind this cleansing system was previously unknown, but now a new study<\/a> from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) has identified the underlying mechanism: It is the neurotransmitter called noradrenaline that takes care of things.<\/p>\n

The University Post spoke to Natalie Hauglund who is lead researcher on the study and a postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at UCPH and at the University of Oxford. We wanted to understand what the discovery means, and how it impacts those valuable hours of sleep.<\/p>\n

The glymphatic what?<\/h3>\n

The brain\u2019s waste clearance system is called the glymphatic system. Think of it as the brain\u2019s washing machine. Cerebrospinal fluid flows through the brain, flushing out waste products. And the engine behind this process is the release of noradrenaline.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWhen we sleep, the neurotransmitter noradrenaline is released in the brain at intervals of about 50 seconds. The substance binds to blood vessels, causing them to contract. This rhythmic expansion and contraction of the blood vessels acts like a pump, driving the cerebrospinal fluid in and out of the brain,\u00ab explains Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n

Why waste products need to be removed<\/h3>\n

During the course of the day, waste products accumulate, and getting rid of them is crucial to brain health. A consequence of excessive waste accumulation is for example neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Stress, screen time, and excessive light before bedtime impair sleep<\/p>\n

Natalie Hauglund, postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00bbMany brain diseases are associated with waste accumulation in the brain. For example, we see a link between Alzheimer\u2019s and the build-up of beta-amyloid plaques<\/em>, which suggests that they have not been properly cleared out,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, it is essential to allow the brain time to go offline<\/em> to maintain crucial functions such as memory, learning, concentration, and the immune system, she explains, emphasizing:<\/p>\n

\u00bbSleep is incredibly important for all these functions.\u00ab<\/p>\n

The same neurotransmitter for stress and sleep<\/h3>\n
\n

Students, stress, and sleep<\/p>\n

UCPH\u2019s latest student well-being survey from 2023<\/a> shows that students experience significant pressure, which can negatively affect sleep.<\/p>\n

Nearly half (49%) report experiencing severe stress symptoms in daily life sometimes, often, or always. During exam periods, this rises to two-thirds of the students (66%).<\/p>\n

Almost a third of students (31%) say they do not have a good balance between study time and free time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Noradrenaline has long been known as a stress response hormone that prepares the body for fight or flight<\/em> situations. When the body is in a high-alert state, it releases large amounts of noradrenaline. A good night\u2019s sleep, however, requires the right balance between high and low levels of the neurotransmitter.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWhen we are awake, noradrenaline levels are very high. When we fall asleep, they decrease, and the slow rhythmic release activates the pump that drives cerebrospinal fluid through the brain. Other studies on sleeping mice have shown that when the mice are stressed, the noradrenaline waves are much faster, causing them to wake up more frequently and get poorer sleep,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n

What about sleeping pills?<\/h3>\n

A new study from the Danish Health Authority<\/a> recommends that adults aged 18 to 64 get seven to nine hours of sleep with regular sleep and wake times. The same study shows that two-thirds of all adults do not get enough sleep.<\/p>\n

Many brain diseases are associated with waste accumulation in the brain<\/p>\n

Natalie Hauglund, postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The findings of the new UCPH study are an important step toward understanding how sleep problems can be reduced, says Natalie Hauglund:<\/p>\n

\u00bbNow we can consider more factors than just whether someone appears to have good sleep. Doctors can start investigating how well the blood vessels perform this pump function. For instance, we know that blood vessels become stiffer with age.\u00ab<\/p>\n

She continues:<\/p>\n

\u00bbOur findings may hopefully contribute to the development of tailored medications in the long run. To stimulate the cleansing process, the goal would be to enhance the blood vessels\u2019 ability to pump cerebrospinal fluid if the pump is not working optimally.\u00ab<\/p>\n

With increasing sleep problems, many may be tempted to turn to sleeping pills. However, the new study has found a surprising link between noradrenaline release and the prescription sleep medication Zolpidem:<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe discovered that the sleeping pill Zolpidem lowered noradrenaline levels to the point where we no longer saw these cleansing waves. Our results suggest that the sleep induced by sleeping pills is not as beneficial as natural sleep,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n

Help, I sleep poorly<\/h3>\n

As of now, there is no medical miracle cure if you dream of waking up like Cinderella in the Disney movie: well-rested, full of energy, and to the sound of birdsong. But there are things you can do to improve your sleep.<\/p>\n

The sleep you get on sleeping pills is not as good<\/p>\n

Natalie Hauglund, postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

According to Natalie Hauglund, it is not possible to directly influence noradrenaline release to improve brain cleansing. However, we do know that the brain\u2019s washing machine functions during deep sleep. By creating optimal conditions for this sleep stage, we can indirectly enhance the cleansing process and improve sleep quality.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt is during non-REM sleep, the deep sleep phase, that we see these slow cleansing waves in the brain. During REM sleep, which is still important for many other functions, noradrenaline is not released at all,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n

This means we must continue to improve our habits to support deep, restorative sleep:<\/p>\n

\u00bbFactors such as stress, screen use, and excessive light exposure before bedtime reduce sleep quality and impair the brain\u2019s ability to carry out the cleansing process,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n

In other words, conventional sleep advice remains the best approach. Prioritise sleep, avoid screens and doomscrolling<\/em> before bed. Yes, this might set off a yawn! But that’s the point.
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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(Used clipping mask)","name":"brainwashing","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":172488,"date":"2025-01-28 09:27:44","modified":"2025-01-28 09:27:54","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1268,"height":826,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-480x313.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":313,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-768x500.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":500,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727.jpg","large-width":1268,"large-height":826,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727.jpg","1536x1536-width":1268,"1536x1536-height":826,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727.jpg","2048x2048-width":1268,"2048x2048-height":826,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-290x189.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":189,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-700x456.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":456,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727-990x645.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":645}},"style":"full","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"The brain\u2019s cleansing system is called the glymphatic system, and researchers now know what the best conditions are for the process."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Sleep research","text":"Du kender vaskemaskinen til dit beskidte t\u00f8j \u2013 men kender du din hjernes helt egen vaskemaskine? Et nyt studie fra KU viser, hvad hemmeligheden er bag den gode s\u00f8vn.","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>We all do it. Some more than others, and some better than others. We all need sleep to cleanse our brains of waste products. The driving force behind this cleansing system was previously unknown, but now a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/cell\/fulltext\/S0092-8674(24)01343-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) has identified the underlying mechanism: It is the neurotransmitter called noradrenaline that takes care of things.<\/p>\n<p>The University Post spoke to Natalie Hauglund who is lead researcher on the study and a postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at UCPH and at the University of Oxford. We wanted to understand what the discovery means, and how it impacts those valuable hours of sleep.<\/p>\n<h3>The glymphatic what?<\/h3>\n<p>The brain\u2019s waste clearance system is called the glymphatic system. Think of it as the brain\u2019s washing machine. Cerebrospinal fluid flows through the brain, flushing out waste products. And the engine behind this process is the release of noradrenaline.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWhen we sleep, the neurotransmitter noradrenaline is released in the brain at intervals of about 50 seconds. The substance binds to blood vessels, causing them to contract. This rhythmic expansion and contraction of the blood vessels acts like a pump, driving the cerebrospinal fluid in and out of the brain,\u00ab explains Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n<h3>Why waste products need to be removed<\/h3>\n<p>During the course of the day, waste products accumulate, and getting rid of them is crucial to brain health. A consequence of excessive waste accumulation is for example neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Stress, screen time, and excessive light before bedtime impair sleep<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Natalie Hauglund, postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00bbMany brain diseases are associated with waste accumulation in the brain. For example, we see a link between Alzheimer\u2019s and the build-up of <em>beta-amyloid plaques<\/em>, which suggests that they have not been properly cleared out,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, it is essential to allow the brain time to go <em>offline<\/em> to maintain crucial functions such as memory, learning, concentration, and the immune system, she explains, emphasizing:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbSleep is incredibly important for all these functions.\u00ab<\/p>\n<h3>The same neurotransmitter for stress and sleep<\/h3>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Students, stress, and sleep<\/p>\n<p>UCPH\u2019s latest <a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/fa.us.bi\/viz\/2023Trivselsrapport\/Forside\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">student well-being survey from 2023<\/a> shows that students experience significant pressure, which can negatively affect sleep.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly half (49%) report experiencing severe stress symptoms in daily life sometimes, often, or always. During exam periods, this rises to two-thirds of the students (66%).<\/p>\n<p>Almost a third of students (31%) say they do not have a good balance between study time and free time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Noradrenaline has long been known as a stress response hormone that prepares the body for <em>fight or flight<\/em> situations. When the body is in a high-alert state, it releases large amounts of noradrenaline. A good night\u2019s sleep, however, requires the right balance between high and low levels of the neurotransmitter.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWhen we are awake, noradrenaline levels are very high. When we fall asleep, they decrease, and the slow rhythmic release activates the pump that drives cerebrospinal fluid through the brain. Other studies on sleeping mice have shown that when the mice are stressed, the noradrenaline waves are much faster, causing them to wake up more frequently and get poorer sleep,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n<h3>What about sleeping pills?<\/h3>\n<p>A new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sst.dk\/da\/nyheder\/2024\/Sover-du-for-lidt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study from the Danish Health Authority<\/a> recommends that adults aged 18 to 64 get seven to nine hours of sleep with regular sleep and wake times. The same study shows that two-thirds of all adults do not get enough sleep.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Many brain diseases are associated with waste accumulation in the brain<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Natalie Hauglund, postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The findings of the new UCPH study are an important step toward understanding how sleep problems can be reduced, says Natalie Hauglund:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbNow we can consider more factors than just whether someone appears to have good sleep. Doctors can start investigating how well the blood vessels perform this pump function. For instance, we know that blood vessels become stiffer with age.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>She continues:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbOur findings may hopefully contribute to the development of tailored medications in the long run. To stimulate the cleansing process, the goal would be to enhance the blood vessels\u2019 ability to pump cerebrospinal fluid if the pump is not working optimally.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>With increasing sleep problems, many may be tempted to turn to sleeping pills. However, the new study has found a surprising link between noradrenaline release and the prescription sleep medication Zolpidem:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe discovered that the sleeping pill Zolpidem lowered noradrenaline levels to the point where we no longer saw these cleansing waves. Our results suggest that the sleep induced by sleeping pills is not as beneficial as natural sleep,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n<h3>Help, I sleep poorly<\/h3>\n<p>As of now, there is no medical miracle cure if you dream of waking up like Cinderella in the Disney movie: well-rested, full of energy, and to the sound of birdsong. But there are things you can do to improve your sleep.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The sleep you get on sleeping pills is not as good<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Natalie Hauglund, postdoc at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to Natalie Hauglund, it is not possible to directly influence noradrenaline release to improve brain cleansing. However, we do know that the brain\u2019s washing machine functions during deep sleep. By creating optimal conditions for this sleep stage, we can indirectly enhance the cleansing process and improve sleep quality.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt is during non-REM sleep, the deep sleep phase, that we see these slow cleansing waves in the brain. During REM sleep, which is still important for many other functions, noradrenaline is not released at all,\u00ab she says.<\/p>\n<p>This means we must continue to improve our habits to support deep, restorative sleep:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbFactors such as stress, screen use, and excessive light exposure before bedtime reduce sleep quality and impair the brain\u2019s ability to carry out the cleansing process,\u00ab says Natalie Hauglund.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, conventional sleep advice remains the best approach. Prioritise sleep, avoid screens and <em>doomscrolling<\/em> before bed. Yes, this might set off a yawn! But that’s the point.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with our top stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":46,"name":"Science","slug":"science","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":46,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":831,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":18,"name":"Feature Article","slug":"feature_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":1200,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/istock1202107727.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172743"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172975,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172743\/revisions\/172975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}