- A molecule is released by a part of the brain that regulates daily rhythms
- This can trigger activity in neurons that govern when we feel thirsty
- Researchers say these become most active in the hours before bed
- The findings could explain why we need to drink before going to sleep
Richard Gray for MailOnline
61
View
comments
Most people will have woken at some point with their mouth feeling like it is full of dry cotton wool, but it seems our brains have a built in mechanism to prevent this.
Researchers have found that the brain’s internal biological clock actually stimulates our thirst in the hours before we go to sleep.
The findings may help to explain why many people can feel the need to have a drink right before going to bed.
Scientists have found that thirst neurons in the brain (pictured) are activated by a signalling molecule that is released from the part of the brain that governs our internal body clock. The finding may explain why we often need a drink before going to bed
The researchers discovered a signalling molecule is released by the region of the brain that regulates the internal body clocks of mice to trigger a response in ‘thirst neurons’ as it starts to get dark.
Although the research was conducted in mice, it could also lead to new ways of treating people who suffer from jet lag and have trouble adjusting to shift work.
HOW GETTING SLEEPY CAN ALSO MAKE US THIRSTY
The natural daily rhythms of our bodies are governed by a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
It is responsible for timing our daily cycles to the hours of daylight and plays a key role in helping us fall asleep.
Researchers have found this area of the brain releases a molecule called vasopressin in the hours before we go to bed.
This triggers a response in the neurons that are responsible for making us feel thirsty.
Researchers believe this may be a response mechanism to help ensure we do not dehydrate too much during the night.
Professor Charles Bourque, a neurologist at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, said: ‘All our organs follow a circadian rhythm, which helps optimize how they function.
‘Shift work forces people out of their natural rhythms, which can have repercussions on health. Knowing how the clock works gives us more potential to actually do something about it.’
Circadian rhythms are the natural cycle that all the cells in our bodies undergo and are regulated by daylight.
A region of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – a tiny region in the hypothalamus – is known to regulate the circadian rhythm.
The researchers, whose work is published in the journal Nature, found that a neuropeptide called vasopressin is released by the suprachiasmatic nucleus plays a critical role in triggering the sense of thirst before bedtime.
Rodents often show a surge in water intake during the last two hours before sleep.
Using cells designed to fluoresce in the presence of vasopressin, the researchers were able to show that it turns on the neurons that govern thirst in a ‘hydration sensor’ of the brain.
Is this why your dog ignores you? Researchers find canines…
Global warming milestone as scientists warn Earth has passed…
The wrong kind of throne: Toilet discovered at…
An underwater safari: Incredible photos reveal secret marine…
The researchers were able to show a link between the clock neurons (pictured) in the brain and those that govern thirst. they found a molecule called vasopressin is released by the clock neurons to activate the thirst neurons
Many people take a glass of water to bed so is on their bedside table if they wake up in the night (stock picture). In mice, the rodents will binge drink on water before going to sleep
The study shows that the drinking behaviour in the mice is not motivated by an immediate physiological reason such as dehydration but may be preemptive.
The researchers also found that restricting access to water in the hours when their brains lit up with this activity resulted in significant dehydration towards the end of their sleep cycle.
It suggests that the increase in thirst is a mechanism to guard against this dehydration towards the end of their sleep cycle.
Professor Bourque said: ‘Although this study was performed in rodents, it points toward an explanation as to why we often experience thirst and ingest liquids such as water or milk before bedtime.’
Share or comment on this article
e-mail
Most watched News videos
LAPD searching for man who punched a woman in Venice Beach
Adorable video of Prince George and Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte bounces on dog during royal visit
Body cam footage shows police fatally shooting a 6-year-old boy
Moment ‘ghost’ suddenly flings open door and smashes glass
George and Charlotte look entertained at first joint engagement
Arizona burros see grass for the first time and are skeptical
Alicia Machado appears topless on reality show The Farm
Rafael Nadal tennis match stopped as mum looks for lost child
Wreckage and debris from train crash in Hoboken New Jersey
George joins Princess Charlotte with balloon modeller
Marlins fans, team bid farewell to pitcher Jose Fernandez
‘Your parents are not good people’: Bill Clinton ‘rape’…
Police begin questioning engineer over ‘high speed’ of…
Jose Fernandez’s pregnant girlfriend breaks cover to say…
Sex on a reality TV show, a Playboy photo shoot, a threat to…
‘Pop!’ Princess Charlotte’s first word in public as she…
JP Morgan worker, 37, and her trader sister, 42, from…
Mind the gap! Aides panic as William and Kate make spur of…
The shocking moment a man punches a young woman in the face…
World of chess in uproar after women told they must play at…
REVEALED: Safety technology designed to stop trains…
Revealed: Jim Carrey’s sexts to his ex while they talked…
Father-of-two, 33, shot dead while driving to the hospital…
Comments (61)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now