New study illuminates key aspects of how we fall asleep and wake up

Falling asleep and waking up are key transitions in everyone's day. Despite decades of research, how these transitions work -- the neurobiological mechanics of our circadian rhythm -- has remained largely a mystery to brain scientists. Now, however, scientists have identified the workings of a key pathway for these processes. The pathway that appears to play a key role in regulating the 'switch' between wakefulness and sleep.