Nucleus Accumbens, a new sleep-regulating area through the integration of motivational stimuli

It happens to all of us, how boring activities could make you feel drowsy, whereas stimulating situations maintain us fully awake. Even if complex circuits involving widespread brain areas and neurotransmitters, and genetic factors as well, control sleep rhythm, little is known about how external emotional factors can affect it. In the present study, Oishi and collaborators1 address the role of nucleus accumbens (NAc), a structure known for its implication in motivation, emotion and pleasure2,3, in sleep and whether NAc could affect its regulation in an appealing context