What happens in your brain while you’re snoozing? It’s working! Processing. Storing memories. Dreaming. But scientists say it’s also likely . . . cleaning!

Yep, the brain is using a God-engineered process that keeps the mind fresh and the body healthy.

Every human brain is made of billions of cells. Those tiny, hard-working units produce lots of waste.

Over a decade ago, scientists at the University of Rochester reported a network of channels in mice brains. Think of it as “plumbing.” It carried away cellular waste from deep inside the brains. Next stop? Liver and kidneys for disposal. Researchers named the network the “glymphatic system.”

Do people have the same system as the mice? Scientists assumed so. Now they know for sure.

In October, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University spotted what they’d been seeking. They found a network of tiny waste-clearing channels in the brains of living humans.

Dr. Juan Piantino was part of the team that discovered the channels. The team injected a radioactive substance called a tracer into five brain surgery patients. The tracers “lit up” under MRIs. (An MRI is a type of scan that shows the inside of the body). Zing! Hours later, scientists watched the tracer leave each brain via the channels—just like in mice. 

It’s not clear exactly how the waste removal works. Some research shows the natural pulsing of blood vessels helps move cellular trash out of the brain.

Researchers have some ideas about what causes trouble to the glymphatic system. Age. Injury. Blood vessel diseases. Clogs or blockages may lead to headaches, depression, or even Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases.

Researchers found that mice sometimes cleared waste faster during sleep. Is this true for people too? Likely. All the more reason to get your zzzzs! 

Why? God created ways for human brains to clean themselves. Mind renewal—both physical and spiritual—is a gift from God.