Scientists Find Out Who Controls Sleep

But studies suggest how fast we sleep determine how fast we can grow older and how sensitive we are to the disease.

A new study by Oxford University found that the internal stratre that aging our cells also activates sleep - controlling neurons.

Scientists hope that this will bring us a step closer to understanding the mysterious function of sleep and enable us to treat insomnia better.

The existing sleeping pills often become less effective over time and can carry out unwanted side effects, including drowsiness, hallucinations, and breathing difficulties.

Research was conducted by Professor Gero Miesenböck, director of the Neural Circles and Behaviour Centre.

The oxidizing or internal stress occurs when there is a imbalance between the free radicals and the antioxidants in the body. Free Radicals are molecules that contain oxygen that can damage tissues. The absence of antioxidants means this damage cannot be prevented.

To determine how sleep can affect our health, researchers examined fruit flies that gave us a mirror in our body clock almost 50 years ago.

Fruit flies have a variety of neurons that control their sleep patterns, the same brain cells that are also found in other animals and humans.

Past surveys suggest that these neurons act like a launch-stop-shop when cells are active when flies fall asleep and when they are inactive, the insect is smart.

Ionic channels generate and control electrical impulses through which brain cells communicate.