Terence Watson

Scientists have achieved the restorative benefits of deep sleep in awake mice, without them actually sleeping. In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison used optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control genetically modified neurons, to induce slow-wave “on/off” patterns characteristic of non-REM sleep in localized regions of the animals’ brains. Sleep-deprived but active mice that received this artificial stimulation performed as well on memory and learning tasks as fully rested mice. The results support the idea that specific neural activity patterns, rather than unconsciousness itself, drive synaptic restoration and cognitive recovery. This discovery suggests it may one day be possible to develop targeted therapies that counteract the effects of sleep deprivation and help treat cognitive decline in humans. [Driessen, K., Squarcio, F., Tononi, G., & Cirelli, C. (2026). Induction of cortical on/off periods in awake mice fulfills sleep functions. Nature Neuroscience]