Sleep discovery reveals how rest builds muscle, burns fat

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have identified the brain circuit linking deep sleep to growth hormone release, which builds muscle and burns fat. The study, published in Cell, found that nerve cells in the hypothalamus control two opposing brain chemicals that regulate the hormone differently during REM and non-REM sleep stages. The discovery could lead to treatments for sleep disorders linked to obesity and diabetes, and may inform research on neurodegenerative diseases.