Does Sleep Brainwash Us?
The brain doesn't have a traditional way of getting rid of waste and keeping itself clean. Scientists have always been puzzled by this. However, recent discoveries have uncovered the glymphatic system that removes harmful waste during sleep. You can almost think of this as “brainwashing.” The term glymphatic was derived from the lymphatic system and its dependence on glial cells (g-lymphatic). Sleep has also been found to be especially crucial for the glymphatic system’s functionality. The brain’s buildup of proteins such as amyloid-beta and tau proteins have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and even dementia, and sleep is thought to provide a crucial role in directing the glymphatic system to clear these potential toxins from the body. Along with sleep, balancing your daily cycle (circadian rhythm) is also extremely important in gaining efficient sleep (reaching deep sleep) to maximize the glymphatic system at night.
This is a video from the 2023 Brain Awareness Video Contest.
Created by Kunsh Sharma and Vivin Sudharsan