REM sleep paradox: Dreaming may drain the brain’s energy even as fuel supply rises
Saturday, September 26, 2026Want headlines delivered to your inbox?
Subscribe to our free daily newsletter.
Scientists discovered a surprising energy paradox in the brain during REM sleep, the stage most closely associated with dreaming. Blood supply to the brain begins increasing even before REM starts, but neurons’ immediately available energy, measured as ATP, then drops. The finding suggests that dreaming may require such intense internal processing that neurons consume energy faster than it can be replenished. (via Science Daily)
Read the Full StoryThis article will expire in 29 days.
In the News...
View All Recent News
- A major risk of breast cancer screening may have been overestimated for decades
- Don’t toss cannabis leaves: They may contain rare compounds with medical potential
- That fresh cleaning smell could be filling your home with nanoparticles
- REM sleep paradox: Dreaming may drain the brain’s energy even as fuel supply rises
- Zepbound and Mounjaro may turn on the body’s calorie-burning brown fat
- This “rare” autism-linked genetic disorder may be far more common than scientists thought
- CRISPR could help doctors attack blood cancer without destroying healthy cells
- Scientists discover an “impossible” cellular survival pathway that could help fight cancer
- Scientists gave worms magnetic bacteria. They lived 43% longer
- Aging muscles may be losing strength for a reason scientists missed
- When what you see doesn’t make sense, your brain does something remarkable
- Scientists thought they knew how this 70-year-old leukemia drug worked
- Rare pregnancy infections may triple the risk of autism
- Breakthrough drug reverses skin aging and dramatically speeds healing
- GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs linked to nutritional deficiencies in nearly 1 in 6 children
- More REM sleep linked to lower risk of 83 diseases
- This new drug could break cancer’s resistance to treatment
- Coffee doesn’t have to keep you awake to disrupt your sleep
- This emerging treatment could help people avoid knee replacement surgery
- Brain scans reveal a possible cause of long COVID fatigue and brain fog