A study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Sleep suggests that people with insomnia could not modulate activity in brain regions typically used to perform a working memory task. BBC News reported that participants with insomnia also did not dial down the “default mode” regions of the brain that are normally only active when the mind is wandering. LiveScience noted that, despite these differences in brain functioning, people with insomnia did not differ from good sleepers in objective cognitive performance. The results may help explain why people with insomnia often complain that they struggle to concentrate during the day.
