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These neurons make us fall asleep when we are bored
In the absence of motivational stimuli, our brains are designed to fall asleep. If you have fallen asleep during a meeting, don’t blame yourself: blame your neurons. Specifically, a set of neurons in a brain area known as the nucleus accumbens, which is a region known to play a role in…
Why you might fall into a 'food coma' this Thanksgiving
Filling up on turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie is likely to be high on the agenda this Thanksgiving. By late afternoon, many of us will be fully immersed in a “food coma,” dozing in front of the TV with no intention of moving for the rest of the day. But…
How do we fall asleep and wake up? Scientists uncover key mechanism
Insomnia, jet lag, seasonal affective disorder – new treatments could be in the cards for all of these circadian rhythm-related conditions, after researchers have uncovered a neurobiological pathway that plays a key role in falling asleep and waking up. An inactive daytime BK channel triggered higher neuronal activity in the…