DNA Repair Protein Drives Sleep

There is a protein in our cells called PARP-1 that constantly repairs damaged DNA, but in neurons (including those in the brain) this repair pressure builds up during wakefulness until we fall asleep. In a 2021 study, researchers showed that in zebrafish and mice, DNA damage in neurons increases during wakefulness and that the DNA damage detector Parp1 becomes more active after sleep deprivation and promotes sleep. When the animals finally slept, about six hours of consolidated sleep reduced neuronal DNA damage and boosted DNA repair activity. The researchers concluded that DNA damage is a homeostatic driver for sleep and that PARP1 links this cellular stress to the urge to sleep so neurons can repair their DNA.

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