Researchers of a new study found that a person's immune system may be responsible for any sleep or memory problems he may experience.

For a long time now, researchers have believed that a physical illness may be the chief cause of decline in memory and sleep deprivation. However, a new study finds that it not only the illness but the system that fights it that causes such problems. According to a team of researchers from the University of Leicester, the immune system is responsible for both memory decline as well as sleep deprivation.

"Think about when you are sick.  Your sleep is disturbed and you're generally not feeling at your sharpest.  Previously work has been carried out showing that being infected leads to exactly these behaviours in fruit flies," lead author, Dr Eamonn Mallon said in a press statement. "In this paper we show that it can be the immune system itself that can cause these problems. By turning on the immune system in flies artificially (with no infection present) we reduced how long they slept and how well they performed in a memory test."

Findings of this study are very significant because they show a how the brain and immune system "cross talk" in the same "chemical language." The findings also suggest a strong association between memory and sleep. Many studies are being conducted to better understand the brain and immune system connection. This will also help in the development of improved medication for diseases affecting both the body and the brain.

"The key message of this study is that the immune response, sleep and memory seem to be intimately linked. Medicine is beginning to study these links between the brain and the immune system in humans. Having an easy to use insect model would be very helpful," Mallon said.

During sleep, your body rests. The brain uses this time to process information from the day and form memories. If you are sleep deprived, you are at risk of developing a number of serious health problems, such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, and your ability to learn and retain new information may be impaired.

The study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Findings were published online in the journal PeerJ.