Accumulation of the protein was more likely to be found in the brains of people who slept less well years earlier, according to a new study.

The Stanford University researcher charted the human sleep cycle and characterized numerous sleep disorders.

The gene, aquaporin-4, is critical in rodents for the cerebrospinal fluid bath the brain gets during sleep. It’s now also tied to slow wave electrical activity during deep sleep in people.

After an accident as a teenager, he developed the disorder. He then studied the brain to better understand his own seizures, and now plans to sail around the world to show others with the condition how to push their limits.

Neurons can only efficiently fix genetic injuries when the animals are asleep.

Some individuals sleep just minutes a day. And keeping flies awake does not have untoward effects on longevity.

People who have suffered traumatic brain injury had slower reaction times and more false starts after disrupted sleep than well-rested controls, according to a study presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

A protein in skeletal muscles helps mice recover from sleep deprivation.

Scientists still don’t know why animals sleep or how to define the ubiquitous behavior.