Former neuroscientist here (though I did not work directly on Alzheimer's or sleep). Anesthesia and sleep are different states, though there are some similarit

Former neuroscientist here (though I did not work directly on Alzheimer's or sleep). Anesthesia and sleep are different states, though there are some similarities. Here's a figure that illustrates what 'typical' EEG looks like in these various states: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162622/figure/F1/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162622/figure/F... A smattering of other differences off the top of my head: you can feel pain when you're asleep, but not under anesthesia. It is possible to wake up a sleeping subject or patient with sounds or shaking, but not one under anesthesia. Also you'll feel refreshed after you sleep, but not after anesthesia.