[Does sleep flush wastes from the brain?]

Abstract

. Does sleep flush wastes from the brain? Sleep is vital across all species, and sleep deprivation has detrimental consequences for the organism. Sleep, but not wakefulness, seems to allow removal of waste metabolites from the brain, clearing the brain from the potential neurotoxic waste products that accumulate during wakefulness. The wastes are removed by cerebrospinal fluid transport, the 'glymphatic system', named after its dependence on the glia, and the resemblance with the lymphatic system in peripheral tissues. A brief synthesis of the new discoveries and their implications for the understanding of sleep functions and mechanisms is presented.