title: [How does sleeping restore our brain?].
abstract: The central function of sleep is to keep our brain functional, but what is the restoration that sleep provides? Sleep after learning improves learning outcomes. According to the theory of synaptic homeostasis the total strength of synapses, having increased during the day, is restored during sleep, making room for the next day's experiences. According to the theory of active synaptic consolidation, repetition during sleep strengthens the synapses, and these strengthened synapses form a permanent engram. According to a recent study, removal of waste products from the brain may also be one of the functions of sleep.
authors.forename: Henna-Kaisa
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wigren
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stenberg
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*