Regulating glucose in the blood. Glucose is needed by cells for respiration. It is important that the concentration of glucose in the blood is maintained at a constant level. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates glucose levels in the blood.egulating glucose in the blood. Glucose is needed by cells for respiration. It is important that the concentration of glucose in the blood is maintained at a constant level. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates glucose levels in the blood.
1 Snooze Foods and Pick-Me-Ups Certain foods contain an amino acid called tryptophan that causes sleepiness. 2  Carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, which is why carbohydrate-heavy meals can make you drowsy. It is made in the brain by converting tryptophan first to serotonin and then to melatonin, which is secreted at night by the pineal gland in the brain to induce and maintain sleep. 2  Scientific evidence shows little or no benefit of melatonin in improving sleep.
Research suggests that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways. First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information.