But what kind of mechanism?
The answer was found by finding electromethods of research, which was not done before (scientists began to study bioelectric currents of the brain). It turned out that the reticular formation will be called easier, the RF, - gives energy to the cortex neurons, which allows the body to stay awake.
Like a power plant, the Russian Federation provides energy to a neural city - the brain. The switch off the switch and the lights go out in the city, the city sleeps. The power supplies of the Russian Federation itself were also found. They were the senses and some substances: carbon dioxide, hormones, blood, devoid of nutrients. Scientists also found such substances that suppress the activity of cells of the Russian Federation, and therefore cause sleep. As one might expect, they also include many drugs.
It would seem that everything has become clear. However, scientists knew other facts. Swiss physiologist V.R. Hess had already established that the "sleep center" was not the Russian Federation, but another subcortical formation of hypothalamus.
The research continued. It turned out that the relationship between cortical cells and RF cells is more complicated. The subcorrosion supplies energy to the cortex, but this supply is controlled by cortical neurons. They regulate when and how much energy they need, decide whether the RF should work at full capacity or whether it should be turned off temporarily.
Cortical neurons also affect the hypothalamic function
When a person is awake, it means they're holding back the activities of "sleep centers". But the cells of the cerebral cortex begin to get tired, they need rest. Their impact on the hypothalamus weakens, and this is immediately used by the cells of the hypothalamus - they "turn off the switch" of the Russian Federation - power plants. The neural city plunges into darkness, a man begins to fall asleep. This is the most general, and if necessary simplified, cortical subcortical theory of sleep, developed by P. K. Anokhin. In short, sleep is the result of two-way communication between the cortex and the subcortical system of the brain.
Investigating the mechanisms of sleep, scientists have come close to understanding the chemical processes that occur in this case. At the beginning of our century, French researchers Légène and Pieron carried out the following experiment: they kept experimental dogs awake for more than a week, took the extract from their brains and injected it into other dogs. Animals, cheerful a minute ago, almost in front of their eyes fell asleep.
Later, scientists would take brain extracts from animals in winter hibernation. Cats and dogs, who received a "dose" of this extract, fell asleep for a long time. The assumption about the chemical nature of sleep was obvious. Apparently, the thing is that when a man (animal) does not sleep, his blood and brain accumulate some harmful substances that cause fatigue. The body is freed from them during sleep.
However, new observations have forced scientists to abandon the idea that it is only in chemistry. Under the supervision of physicians were, for example, not unknown Siamese twins. With a common blood circulation and separate nervous systems, they fell asleep at different times - one head slept, and the other was awake. If sleep had occurred only because of the increase in the blood of certain chemicals, this phenomenon would not have occurred.
So, the chemical factor is not the most important factor in the mechanism of sleep. But it is also impossible to throw it away. To fall asleep, the body puts in motion both nervous and chemical processes
It has been established that this increases the amount of serotonin in the blood, and the adrenaline content during sleep, on the contrary, decreases. It is worth injecting a small dose of adrenaline into the blood of the animal, and the animal will not fall asleep for a long time.
At the same time, it should be noted that the majority of sleeping pills violate the normal structure of sleep - they suppress the so-called "quick sleep".
To be continued in the next part https://zen.yandex.ru/profile/editor/id/5d9330af8600e100b06bbabe/5d94954c5ba2b500adb6e841/edit