CYP7A1: A Liver Circadian Clock Output Mediating the Metabolic Effects of Sleep Disruption

All higher animals on this planet show some form of sleep-like behavior, but still a consensus has not been reached on what determines the evolutionary value of sleep. Recent data suggest that one important aspect might be its role in the maintenance of energy homeostasis. Over the past decades, average daily sleep times have decreased by almost 20% in Western societies, in part caused by a largely augmented demand for shift work. In parallel, metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome have dramatically increased in prevalence.