Sleep and the Brain

Is your brain getting enough sleep? Sleep is vitally important to maintaining a healthy body—especially the immune system (and what affects the immune system affects the brain). Researchers at UCLA have found that loss of sleep, even for a few hours during the night, can prompt a person’s immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs. The study was based on measurements of levels of nuclear factor (NF)-KB, a transcription factor that serves a vital role in the body's inflammatory signaling. Experts recommend that adults get between seven and eight hours of sleep every night. Personally, I need at least nine hours of sleep; sometimes ten if I have made several presentations during the day.