Sleep: The Price of Plasticity - How Sleep Restores Brain Function
Why Is Sleep Called “The Price of Plasticity” for the Brain?
Because sleep serves as the essential cost that the brain must pay for its remarkable ability to learn, adapt, and form new connections throughout the day. This influential theory proposes that brain plasticity—the capacity to strengthen and weaken synaptic connections based on experience—creates an imbalance that can only be restored during sleep. Sleep acts as a global reset mechanism that maintains synaptic homeostasis, preventing neural circuits from becoming oversaturated while preserving important memories and learned behaviors.