Mouse study reveals mechanism driving first night insomnia

You check into a hotel and toss and turn all night, but your sleep improves the following night. Scientists at Nagoya University wanted to understand why this happens. Working with mice, they have identified a group of neurons that become active when an animal enters a new environment. These neurons release a molecule called neurotensin that maintains wakefulness. The effect protects them from potential dangers in unknown surroundings. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Nagoya University