The mystery of sleep function: Current perspectives and future directions
Abstract
The function of sleep is one of the most persistent and perplexing mysteries in biology. Many theories have been proposed to explain why we sleep, but most account for only a portion of sleep behavior and very few enjoy strong experimental support. A critical review of current findings leads to the following conclusions. Sleep is for the brain rather than the body, and the neural process most impacted by sleep is cognition. Sleep may influence cognition in many ways, including the removal of a toxic byproduct of wakefulness, or the restoration of neural substrates needed for mental processes. The evidence for these possibilities, however, is weak or equivocal. On the other hand, converging lines of evidence support the hypothesis that sleep promotes brain plasticity.
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Sleep has a restorative effect on the immune system, the endocrine system, facilitates recovery of the nervous system and metabolic cost of the waking state, and has an integral role in learning, memory and synaptic plasticity.
“Sleep has been shown to have a restorative effect on the immune system, the endocrine system, facilitate the recovery of the nervous system and metabolic cost of the waking state and has an integral role in learning, memory and synaptic plasticity, all of which can impact both athletic recovery and performance.”
From Sleep and Nutrition Interactions: Implications for Athletes (2019) · cites this paper as [19]
Cites
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EEG delta oscillations as a correlate of basic homeostatic and motivational processes
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“Sleep has a restorative effect on the immune system and the endocrine system, facilitates the recovery of the nervous and metabolic cost of the waking state and has an integral role in learning, memory and synaptic plasticity (ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time) [18,19].”
BackgroundThe Role of Sleep in Memory Consolidation and Brain Plasticity: Dream or Reality?
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- Authors
- Frank, M. G.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Frank, Marcos G.
- ORCID
- Frank, Marcos G.
- Venue
- Reviews in the Neurosciences
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2006-01
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 375-92
- ISSN
- 0334-1763 (ISSN-L)
- 2191-0200
- OpenAlex
- W2320456118
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 2.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Reviews in the Neurosciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Public Health Service
- National Institute of Mental Health (5-R01-MH607568)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- sleep function, sleep theory, cognition, neuroplasticity, sleep-dependent memory consolidation
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cerebral Cortex, Cognition, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Learning, Memory, Neuronal Plasticity, Regeneration, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Long-Term Potentiation
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