Writing for the Society for Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Quarterly, Ellen Kuwana reports on what sleep does for us and how sex hormones play a role in sleep. New research in lab rodents details the role that estrogen plays on the neurons and gene networks involved in sleep, and how, in turn, sleep deprivation affects on the brain and learning varies depending on estrogen levels. These findings help to explain why women may experience insomnia more than men yet have more resilience than men to sleep deprivation’s effects on memory and learning. Rodents aren’t the only animals that offer insights into sleep and the brain: Kuwana also reports on a study that suggests that cuttlefish replay their days through dreams, like we do. Illustration by John Smith, public domain
