World Sleep 2022 | Why we need sleep – insights from a small animal model

Amita Sehgal, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, discusses insights from a small animal model – why do we need sleep? Prof. Sehgal talks about research into the idea of how sleep is important for metabolic balance, recalibration of the metabolic pathway, the clearing of metabolic waste, and the consolidation of memory – which may also have a basis in metabolic changes. The predominant focus of Prof. Sehgal’s research resides in both circadian rhythms and sleep. For the circadian aspect of study, there is a great emphasis on the translational aspects; how to get clinicians to recognize the importance of circadian rhythms for exploiting them for treatment. Our bodies change with time of day, therefore, so do drug targets – making varied treatment requirements throughout the time of day. There is already a lot of fundamental research into circadian rhythms, thus now needs to be translated into a clinical setting. Regarding the sleep aspect of study, Prof. Sehgal states that there is more work in the clinical aspect– with more work being needed on understanding the fundamentals of sleep. This interview took place at the World Sleep Conference 2022 in Rome, Italy.