TUCSON, Ariz. — Imagine being able to “turn off” your racing thoughts with a 40-second burst of magnetic pulses. For people plagued by chronic insomnia, this might soon become a reality.
Researchers at the University of Arizona are pioneering a groundbreaking approach to combat sleeplessness among military personnel, targeting a persistent problem that affects an astounding 85% of service members. With a $3 million grant from the Department of Defense, Dr. William “Scott” Killgore and his team are developing a non-drug intervention that could transform how we treat sleep disorders .
The core of the problem is frustratingly familiar to anyone who has ever struggled to fall asleep: an inability to quiet the mind .
“Many people with insomnia describe being unable to ‘turn off’ their thoughts when trying to fall asleep,” explains Killgore in a university release .
The culprit? A brain network called the default mode network (DMN), which becomes hyperactive during rest, churning out a constant stream of internal dialogue, worries, and ruminations.