Scientists Discover Hidden Sleep Switch That Boosts Brainpower, Builds Muscle, and Burns Fat

UC Berkeley researchers mapped a mouse brain circuit that links deep sleep to growth hormone release.

The circuit in the hypothalamus involves GHRH and somatostatin neurons, and it also feeds back to increase wakefulness after hormone release.

The findings help explain how sleep helps regulate hormone balance and brain-state control.

The work could inform future treatments for sleep, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.