Sleep Patterns and Human Brain Health

Abstract

It is a widely held opinion that sleep is important for human brain health. Here we examine the evidence for this view, focusing on normal variations in sleep patterns. We discuss the functions of sleep and highlight the paradoxical implications of theories seeing sleep as an adaptive capacity versus the theory that sleep benefits clearance of metabolic waste from the brain. We also evaluate the proposition that sleep plays an active role in consolidation of memories. Finally, we review research on possible effects of chronic sleep deprivation on brain health. We find that the evidence for a causal role of sleep in human brain health is surprisingly weak relative to the amount of attention to sleep in science and society. While there are well-established associations between sleep parameters and aspects of brain health, results are generally not consistent across studies and measures, and it is not clear to what extent alterations in sleep patterns represent symptoms or causes. Especially, the proposition that long sleep (>8 hours) in general is beneficial for long-term brain health in humans seems to lack empirical support. We suggest directions for future research to establish a solid foundation of knowledge about a role of sleep in brain health based on longitudinal studies with frequent sampling, attention to individual differences, and more ecologically valid intervention studies.