Most of us answer 'no' when asked if we slept well. While researchers have long focused on the brain for sleep disorders, emerging evidence points to our muscles. A recent U.S. study on mice, published on Medical News Today, reveals how a protein in skeletal muscles drives sleep loss—challenging the notion that the brain holds all the power.
BMAL1, a protein found in our muscles, is a core component of the circadian clock—our internal 24-hour rhythm that governs hunger, sleepiness, and bodily recovery. This research shows BMAL1 directly affects sleep duration and quality. As detailed by UT Southwestern Medical Center, this breakthrough could lead to targeted therapies for hypersomnia (requiring over 10 hours of sleep nightly) and narcolepsy (sudden, uncontrollable sleep episodes).
This time, the brain isn't the sole culprit!
