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The mysterious genes of natural short sleepers: Which mutations allow them to be alert in just 4 hours?
In modern society, the debate over sleep quality and quantity continues to gain attention. Getting the right amount of sleep can seem like a daunting task for many people, but a small minority of people are able to maintain high levels of energy and vitality with relatively few hours of sleep. They are called Natural Short Sleepers (NSS), and the roots of this trait can be traced back to genetic mutations, revealing the diversity of human physiology.
This special phenomenon caused by genetic factors allows them to only need 4 to 6 hours of sleep every night, but still feel energetic after waking up.
What are natural short sleepers?
Being a natural short sleeper is a genetic trait that is usually transmitted in an autodominant manner. This means that if one parent carries the gene mutation, the child has a 50% chance of inheriting the trait. This condition is different from sleep deprivation, as the latter often brings discomfort such as fatigue and emotional instability.
The role of genes
Studies have shown that genetic mutations in people who are born short sleepers are mainly concentrated in multiple genes including DEC2/BHLHE41, ADRB1, NPSR1 and GRM1. Mutations in these genes directly affect a person's sleep patterns and sleep needs. Based on current genomic research, the diversity of sleep behavior is thought to be highly polygenic, with many small variations cumulatively determining the amount of sleep a person gets.
Performance in life
People who have this sleeping pattern often exhibit some interesting characteristics. Not only do they perform better in memory recall, they also have higher productivity and extroverted personalities. These people tend to be able to maintain a good state of mind and energy on relatively less sleep. In addition, studies have shown that people who are born short sleepers usually have a lower body mass index (BMI) than normal people, which may be related to their faster metabolic rate.
A staggering 1 to 3 percent of the population has this unique genetic trait, which translates to millions of people worldwide.
Relationship with health
Interestingly, natural short sleepers appear to be somewhat resistant to the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. Some studies from Ying-Hui Fu's laboratory showed that in transgenic mouse models, mice that carried both the short sleeper gene mutation and an Alzheimer's-related mutation had significantly less brain damage than mice that only carried the short sleeper gene mutation. Mice carrying the Alzheimer's mutation.
Future Research Directions
While research into natural short sleepers is still ongoing, the genetic variants involved in this phenomenon and their potential protective effects on health provide interesting areas of research for the scientific community. Further understanding of how these genes affect human physiological characteristics may provide new insights into longevity and healthy aging.
Conclusion
The existence of natural short sleepers and their unique genetic characteristics mean that our understanding of human sleep is no longer limited to traditional cognition. Not only do these people display exceptional energy and productivity, they may also possess some degree of resistance to disease. This makes one wonder, can future medical research use the power of these mutations to develop more effective therapies to improve the sleep quality and health of the majority of the population?
