New device may harness benefits of a deep sleep

A NEW discovery could make it possible to take a “power nap” at the flick of a switch.

Scientists have found a way to turn on deep sleep at will using a machine that magnetically stimulates the brain. Such a device worn on the head could in future squeeze the benefit of eight hours sleep into just two or three hours.

The deepest phase of sleep is characterised by slow wave activity. During slow wave sleep, waves of electrical impulses wash across the brain at a rate of roughly one a second. Slow wave activity is known to be critical to the restoration of mood and the ability to learn, think and remember.