Mouse mutants with sleep defects may shed light on the mysteries of sleep

The first unbiased genetic screen for sleep defects in mice has yielded two interesting mutants, Sleepy, which sleeps excessively, and Dreamless, which lacks rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The findings are the first step towards discovering the biochemistry that controls the switch from wakefulness to sleep, the researchers say.

Originally published at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161102144218.htm