Yu et al., Wakefulness Is Governed by GABA and Histamine Cotransmission, Neuron (2015), doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2015.06.003 This research was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Wellcome Trust. They hope this will lead to a better understanding of the link between poor sleep and mental health issues in humans. The scientists have begun new work with mice to investigate the link between lack of sleep and memory loss. They didn't appear to need any recovery sleep at all." These mice kept up their hyperactive state over the following 16 hours they were awake. "Normally mice that lose five hours of sleep would sleep for longer following this deprivation, and we would see a much lower level of activity. "What particularly surprised us was how little the mice were affected by sleep deprivation," said Professor Franks. When they did sleep, the mice experienced just 65 per cent of the normal amount of non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a heavy sleep state with no dreaming. The mice also stayed awake much longer in the day, when they would otherwise be asleep. The scientists found that compared with normal mice, those without GABA ran twice as far and twice as fast, and maintained or even increased their overall activity over a 30 minute period. "Wakefulness stimulated by histamine may be too much of a good thing, and so the brain has a built in brake on histamine’s wake-inducing actions," said Dr Brickley. In humans these are often also symptoms of bipolar disorder, which affects around 2.4 million people in the UK. Mice without the GABA chemical developed characteristics similar to a medical condition called mania, in which patients experience restlessness and sleeplessness. They altered the levels of the GABA produced by the mice's brains and measured what changes this had on their brain activity over the day and night. The researchers found that GABA and histamine are made in the same brain cells, called histamine neurons, which led the scientists to question its function. The new research suggests that the chemical GABA acts against histamine, like a chemical 'brake' preventing wakefulness being too intense. Scientists already know the chemical histamine sends signals to the brain to make it awake, which is why antihistamines are associated with drowsiness. But nobody yet knows why." TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING Professor Wisden said, "Sleep is essential for health. The team of scientists was led by Dr Stephen Brickley, Professor Nick Franks and Professor Bill Wisden from the Department of Life Sciences and the Centre for Neurotechnology at Imperial College London. The chemicals they studied, histamine and GABA, are produced in a primitive part of the brain that is highly similar in mice and humans. Scientists altered the neurochemistry of mice to help investigate why we need to sleep, what controls our wakefulness, and how a balance between these two states influences brain functions like concentration and memory and our general health. This discovery, published in the journal Neuron, could help researchers to develop new drugs that promote better sleep, or control hyperactivity in people with the medical condition mania. While quick fixes are tempting, they can have dangerous side effects, like increased anxiety or even heart problems.Mice that have a particular brain chemical switched off become hyperactive and sleep for just 65 per cent of their normal time. Avoid energy drinks and pills that contain caffeine and/or chemicals.Too much caffeine can be very dangerous for your heart and can also worsen existing conditions, like anxiety or depression. Don’t consume more than 200 mg of caffeine in a day.Avoid drinking coffee or consuming anything with caffeine, like chocolate, soda, or tea, within 6 hours of when you plan to go to bed or you may have trouble falling asleep.Be aware that coffee and other caffeinated drinks can actually be dehydrating, so you should drink water with them, too.Have the equivalent of 200 mg of caffeine, which is 12 oz (.35 L) of coffee or 24 oz (.7 L) of tea, for example, over the course of 24 hours. Drink a mug of coffee to wake yourself up quickly, as caffeine prevents the cells that make you feel tired from reaching your brain. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system and makes you feel alert.
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