The alternating nature of sleep

Talk by Dr. Nitin Chouhan (TIFR, Mumbai) on the topic 'The alternating nature of sleep' during the 36th mid year meeting of the IASc. The event was hosted in the IISc, Bengaluru on 04,05 July 2025.

Abstract of the talk published as follows.

We sleep for a third of our lives, but why we sleep remains mysterious.
For most of human history, sleep was considered useless, equated to
dying every night to be born again the following day. However, we now
understand that sleep plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of various
biological processes, including cognitive functions such as learning and
forming memories. Obtaining quality sleep is critical in maintaining optimal
physical and mental well-being. However, animals like elephants, dolphins,
and whales can learn and remember essential information even without sleep
for extended periods. Our work demonstrated that satiated Drosophila form
sleep-dependent memories but switch to a sleep-independent mechanism
for memory consolidation when kept starved. Therefore, the role of sleep in
vital biological processes adapts to the changes in environmental settings.
In this talk, I will discuss our current understanding of sleep’s functions and
the importance of proper sleep in maintaining cognitive health. Also, I will
present our recent findings in fruit flies on how heat stress, a major factor
in weather-related deaths, affects the role of sleep in memory consolidation.