Let's Not Sleep on It!

Per and Poly Fluoro Alkyl Substances (PFASs) is a large family of synthetic chemicals. They're used to make a variety of products (e,g, clothing, cooking utensils, carpets and even fast food cartons) waterproof; stain-resistant and/or non-stick. They are also known as the 'forever chemicals' because they are not broken down by natural processes. This means, of course, that their environmental concentrations are inevitably increasing. It's long been known that PFASs have detrimental effects on somatic health. These chemicals have been linked, for example, to increased cancer risk and reproductive disorders. There's now growing evidence that PFASs can also influence the brain (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/18/pfas-sleep-disorders). A University of Southern California study, measured blood concentrations of PFASs in 19-24 year old folk (undergraduates?). It also looked at their sleep duration. Subjects in the top third of concentrations, slept, on average, for 80 minutes less than the cohort with lowest values. Scientists carrying out the study, noted that the PFAS under investigation, had an impact on 7 genes. One of these genes is involved in the conversion of the adrenal 'stress' hormone cortisol to cortisone. Cortisone has been shown to regulate human sleep cycles. There consequently appears to be a mechanism directly linking a PFAS, to physiology, to sleep.