Abstract
Human sleep is characterized by the cyclic occurrence of periods of non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS) and rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) and by distinct patterns of hormone secretion. Various neuropeptides participate in sleep regulation. A reciprocal interaction of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays a key role in sleep regulation. GHRH promotes sleep and stimulates GH, whereas CRH enhances vigilance, enhances the secretion of corticotropin (ACTH) and Cortisol, and impairs sleep. Changes in the CRH/GHRH ratio in favor of CRH contribute to shallow sleep, elevated cortisol, and blunted growth hormone (GH) during depression and aging. GHRH participates in sleep promotion after sleep. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is another endogenous antagonist of CRH. Its major role appears to be the timing of sleep onset. In addition to CRH, somatostatin is a sleep-impairing peptide. In addition to GHRH, galanin and ghrelin promote slow wave sleep (SWS). Intact GHRH receptors are the prerequisite for sleep promotion by ghrelin.
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