Mon Prof Augmenté
Sleep and Wake Centres
Age 17 · Psychology
Sleep and wakefulness come from two opposing brain regions that inhibit each other. Hypnotic drugs imitate the brain’s own inhibitory molecules to reduce activity in the wake region.
This picture is part of the full library
Every lesson is open to everyone for 7 days after it is published. This one came out on September 29, 2026: its text stays readable here, and its picture opens with a subscription.
The app is free. A subscription opens every lesson, in every school year.
In the picture
- Sleep-promoting region: the source of inhibitory signals.
- Wake-promoting region: the target that keeps the brain awake.
- Round bead: an inhibitory signal travelling from the sleep region.
- Syringe tip: a source of identical molecules that occupy wake-region receptor slots.
Examples
- Feeling alert after a full night’s sleep, when the wake region is active.
- A prescribed sleeping tablet making someone drowsy by boosting inhibition in wake circuits.
Key takeaways
- Sleep and wake systems inhibit each other in a push-pull arrangement.
- Hypnotics act like natural inhibitory signals and turn down wake-promoting activity.
Quiz: Sleep and Wake Centres (Age 17)
-
According to the card, how do the sleep and wake systems interact?
-
What do hypnotic drugs do according to the card?
-
According to the card, what is the sleep-promoting region a source of?
The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.
Free app, optional subscription
App Store Google Play
Carry on in the app
At least one new illustrated lesson every weekday for your child’s year, with its quiz and a reminder at 6:15 pm.
Your child’s teacher does not use My Enhanced Teacher yet?
Tell them about it
