Sleep and the brain
Adults need at least 7 hours. Sleep may help clear brain waste, shown so far in mice.
Education only, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, take medication or have a condition.
Evidence grade: B (A strong, B good with gaps, C limited or mixed, D early)
How much
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommend at least 7 hours a night for adults; regularly sleeping less is linked to impaired performance and more errors [1].
Why
In mice, the space between brain cells expanded by about 60% during sleep and clearance of beta-amyloid increased [2]. Whether the same applies to people is still being studied.
Sources
- Watson et al. 2015, Sleep. doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4716
- Xie et al. 2013, Science. doi.org/10.1126/science.1241224
DOIs verified against Crossref and official pages checked on 2026-10-15.