It’s not always easy to get a good night’s sleep.
In fact, a third of the population sometimes suffers from unwelcome insomnia. James Krueger may soon be able to tell us why—and offer some fresh solutions.

Professor Krueger’s research seeks to uncover biochemical factors that regulate sleep. He and his colleagues have identified a variety of neurochemicals produced by the body that induce sleep when administered and inhibit sleep when withheld. What role do these compounds play in regulating sleep? When Professor Krueger finds the answer, it may lead to a remedy for those tossing, turning, wakeful nights.

It’s a little trickier than counting sheep.
Professor Krueger has a theory about what happens in our bodies when we enter the Land of Nod. In a typical brain, there are more than 100,000 groups of neurons. Each neuronal group can be either awake or asleep, depending on its prior activity. For your entire brain to sleep, many of your 100,000 neuronal groups have to "oscillate" to the sleep state at once.

The question is, how many?

Enter V. S. "Mano" Manoranjan, professor of applied mathematics. He's creating a mathematical model of coupled neuronal groups to find out how many oscillate in synchrony under various conditions.

If he proves Professor Krueger's theory true, the findings could have major implications for sleep disorders—even those as simple and widespread as jet lag. They may also help solve mysteries associated with serious neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Krueger Research Profile

Manoranjan Research Profile