Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Understanding Sleep

Understanding Sleep

Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:

Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance

Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance

Primary motives such as sleep, sex, and pain avoidance are crucial drivers of behavior in humans and animals. These motives ensure survival, reproductive success, and overall well-being by prompting actions that meet essential bodily needs.
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...

Stages of Sleep

Stages of Sleep

Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Recognition of distinct sleep states in <i>Drosophila</i> uncovers previously obscured homeostatic and circadian control of sleep.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

25 years of <i>Drosophila</i> "Sleep genes".

Fly·2025

Same author

Stem cell-specific ecdysone signaling regulates the development of dorsal fan-shaped body neurons and sleep homeostasis.

Current biology : CB·2024

Same author

Drosophila sleep homeostasis in sickness and in health.

Sleep·2024

Same author

A two-process model of Drosophila sleep reveals an inter-dependence between circadian clock speed and the rate of sleep pressure decay.

Sleep·2023

Same author

Homeostatic control of deep sleep and molecular correlates of sleep pressure in <i>Drosophila</i>.

eLife·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

Why the young sleep longer.

Budhaditya Chowdhury¹, Orie T Shafer¹

¹Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, United States.

|April 28, 2020

Summary

A newly identified transcription factor extends sleep duration in young flies. It achieves this by slowing down the development of sleep-regulating neural circuits.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Genetics

Background:

Sleep is crucial for cognitive function and overall health.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating sleep is an active area of research.
Neural circuit maturation plays a key role in the development of sleep patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of transcription factors in regulating sleep duration during development.
To identify molecular players that influence the maturation of sleep-controlling neural networks.
To understand how genetic factors impact sleep regulation in young organisms.

Main Methods:

Utilized Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) as a model organism.
Employed genetic screening to identify candidate transcription factors.

Keywords:

D. melanogaster brain development central complex dopamine genetics genomics neuroscience ontogeny sleep synapse

More Related Videos

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Published on: August 8, 2019

Author Spotlight: Overcoming Challenges in Drosophila Sleep Measurement Using DAM System

Author Spotlight: Overcoming Challenges in Drosophila Sleep Measurement Using DAM System

Published on: October 20, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments

Published on: August 8, 2019

Author Spotlight: Overcoming Challenges in Drosophila Sleep Measurement Using DAM System

Author Spotlight: Overcoming Challenges in Drosophila Sleep Measurement Using DAM System

Published on: October 20, 2023

Performed molecular and cellular analyses to examine neural circuit development.

Conducted behavioral assays to measure sleep duration and patterns.

Main Results:

A specific transcription factor was found to significantly prolong sleep in young flies.
This transcription factor was shown to delay the maturation of key sleep-regulating neural circuits.
Knockdown of the transcription factor led to reduced sleep duration and accelerated circuit maturation.

Conclusions:

Transcription factors are critical regulators of developmental sleep timing.
Delaying neural circuit maturation is a viable mechanism for extending sleep.
This study provides new insights into the genetic control of sleep development.