> why wouldn't we have mechanisms to remove those and keep the brain functioning? I don't know if it's in the links below, but I remember hearing a talk that t

> why wouldn't we have mechanisms to remove those and keep the brain functioning? I don't know if it's in the links below, but I remember hearing a talk that the flushing required physical changes inside the brain: Widening of channels (by neurons getting smaller and making room, if I remember that correctly?). So normal function can't go on while the flushing process is being performed. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/brain-may-flush-out-toxins-during-sleep https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/brain-may-flus... https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-sleep-clears-brain https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-sle... Since we have distinct sleep phases we may not have just one "sleep", (very) different things going on at different phases.