It sounds like a lovely Zombie movie doesn’t it? Brains turning off on their own, without your knowledge. but it’s true, at least according to science. New research into the field of neuroscience, as reported by Wired, the longer someone stays awake without sleeping your brain falls into a pattern of letting some synapses sleep while the others continue to function. This is the reason when pulling an all-nighter in school you are not nearly as sharp as you were at the start of your day. It also explains why people are much more functional after a short nap, basically it resets the snooze alarm on your brain cells.
While the study, or the explanation didn’t go into this type of detail, imagine if this process happened after being awake for only say… 6 hours, so an afternoon nap would refresh you like no one’s business. I’d love to see a bit more research into how naps affect this process.
Come with me now as we journey into my brain. Since we are a coffee and caffeine site I wonder what affects various stimulants have on this process. I have to tell you I think my brain shuts down half of its faculties regardless. I don’t know about you but there are definitely days when I swear I’m not working on all cylinders and now there just might be science behind it! Imagine if the scientists could isolate why this happens, they might unlock the secrets of why some people need less sleep than others, or even tackle a sleeping disorder or two.
Sleep-Deprived Neurons May Shut Down, Even When You’re Awake | Wired Science | Wired.com.