Topic: sleep-wake states

Sleep is an essential biological need that is regulated by multiple brain networks. The hypothalamus is a structure that is essential for the maintenance of physiological homeostasis including food intake, reproduction and sleep-wake states. The lateral hypothalamic area (LH) encompasses various cell groups critical for the coordination of arousal and REM sleep. In contrast, the preoptic area (POA) of the anterior hypothalamus is involved in the NREM sleep regulation. The predominant concept is that hypothalamic cells that govern sleep-wake states are clustered into wake-on, NREM-on or REM-on