Why sleep feels so good: Brain circuit that helps us get ready for bed also plays a role in helping us feel rewarded

There can be few feelings more comforting than the warm, fuzzy envelopment of sleep as you drift off after a hard day's work. Now researchers may have found a clue as to why sleep can make us feel so good. They have discovered a key brain circuit that is indispensable to our sleep cycle and is also a major component of our internal reward system. Scientists have discovered a key brain circuit in helping us drift off to sleep (stock picture). The circuit of neurons, known as the ventral tegmental area, helps to motivate us to perform behaviours like looking for food, having sex or fleeing from predators.