The relationship between inflammation and sleep in adolescence

While inflammation has been linked to sleep, its relationship with EEG spectral changes in adolescence remains largely underexplored. Infections, cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues, as well as sleep deprivation and altered sleep patterns, increase the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-α. Elevated levels of these cytokines are associated with increased NREM sleep in both animals and humans, indicating increased sleep pressure, while REM sleep is often reduced. Additionally, increased IL-1β levels alter spontaneous sleep and normal homeostatic sleep regulation, leading to disruptions in sleep-wake regulation. Thus, we expect that elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels will shift the proportion of NREM and REM sleep and induce changes in the spectral slope of NREM sleep in adolescents. Inflammatory processes within the immune system also play a role in mood and affective functioning. In the BIBO database, we aim to analyze the relationship between inflammation, sleep, and affective functions.