Day three of the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting offered news about Down syndrome and sleep cycles
Melatonin by moonlight
Moonlight may interrupt astronauts’ sleep cycles by messing with their melatonin, a new study shows.Sleep cycles are regulated by the type and amount of light that people encounter. When a person goes to sleep, the hormone melatonin circulates through the body to maintain a drowsy state. But if a light comes on, the body’s melatonin levels drop, causing the person to wake up.