Sleeping shrinks the brain … and that's a good thing
Ah, to sleep, perchance … to shrink your neural connections? That's the conclusion of new research that examined subtle changes in the brain during sleep. The researchers found that sleep provides a time when the brain's synapses — the connections among neurons — shrink back by nearly 20 percent. During this time, the synapses rest and prepare for the next day, when they will grow stronger while receiving new input — that is, learning new things, the researchers said. Without this reset, known as "synaptic homeostasis," synapses could become overloaded and burned out, like an electrical outlet with too many appliances plugged in to it, the scientists said.
Synthesis: This is very interesting! I would of never thought that your brain shrinks when you are sleeping, that is so unusual to think about. It makes alot of sense though because after you have slept for hours or taken a nap, you have alot of energy and remember more things. But I would of never thought of the idea that your brain shrinks in order to take in more learning materials.
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