Sleep restriction of just 6 days impairs several aspects of blood–brain barrier function in mice, according to new research published in The Journal of Neuroscience. These findings might have widespread implications for public health given the common occurrence of sleep restriction and disturbances in the general population. Chronic sleep impairment has previously been connected to neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer disease, but little was known about the mechanisms through which sleep restriction increases susceptibility to neurodegeneration.