A new study demonstrates how important a good night’s sleep can be for your health. Researchers compared the brain of a rat that was getting a good night’s sleep versus one who was not. The study found that while the body rests, the brain goes into a cleaning mode to remove waste from the brain’s daily activity. Some of this waste includes the beta-amyloid protein that is found in the plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The study’s researchers, a group at that University of Rochester Medical Center, theorize that staying up late prevents the brain from removing toxins, which may explain the crankiness and mental fog that people suffer while sleep deprived.

So, reconsider before pulling an all-nighter before an exam or trial.

You can find the study here:

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/373

The Washington Post Discusses the study here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/brains-flush-toxic-waste-in-sleep-including-alzheimers-linked-protein-study-of-mice-finds/2013/10/19/9af49e40-377a-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html