Slow-wave sleep

Operating system

Circadian rhythm

Psychology

Neuroscience

Vigilance (psychology)

Sleep (system call)

Dentate gyrus

Sleep deprivation

Wakefulness

Cerebral cortex

Neuroscience of sleep

Computer science

Electroencephalography

Central nervous system

Nature Neuroscience

Cortical and subcortical circuitry are thought to play distinct roles in the generation of sleep oscillations and global state control, respectively. Here we silenced a subset of neocortical layer 5 pyramidal and archicortical dentate gyrus granule cells in male mice by ablating SNAP25. This markedly increased wakefulness and reduced rebound of electroencephalographic slow-wave activity after sleep deprivation, suggesting a role for the cortex in both vigilance state control and sleep homeostasis.

A role for the cortex in sleep–wake regulation