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A sleepless night doesn't just leave you yawning the next day, it can cloud your mind. That groggy feeling after a bad night's sleep isn't all in your head - it's in your brain.

Scientists have discovered that attention lapses due to sleep deprivation coincide with a flushing of fluid from the brain - a process that normally happens during sleep.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that during such lapses, a wave of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows out of the brain. During sleep, this CSF - which cushions the brain - helps to wash away waste that has built up during the day.

The 'flushing' is believed to be necessary for maintaining a healthy, normally functioning brain.

When a person is sleep-deprived, it appears that their body attempts to c

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