Rare genetic mutation lets some people thrive on just 4 hours of shut-eye

Scientists Made a New Breakthrough in the Genetics of Sleep

For most people, sleeping for just four hours every night is likely to have adverse effects on their health. Signs of not getting enough sleep include depression and moodiness, along with the possibility of gaining weight. But for a very small group of people, four hours of sleep per night is perfectly adequate to keep their bodies and minds functioning properly. The term to describe this phenomenon is “natural short sleepers,” and scientists ha…

For a small percentage of people, just four hours of sleep a night is enough to feel refreshed. US scientists have now found a rare gene mutation that appears to significantly shorten sleep time.

Rare genetic mutation lets some people thrive on just 4 hours of shut-eye

A newly identified mutation helps super-sleepers get by on just four to six hours of shut-eye per night, while the rest of us need around eight hours. Researchers described the SIK3-N783Y mutation in a new study after testing it on sleep-deprived inbred mice.

Scientists Discover Genetic Mutation Linked to Needing Less Sleep

The answer to the question 'how much sleep do I need each night?' depends on a variety of factors, and we just found a new one: a rare mutation in the SIK3 gene that seems to enable the brain to function on less sleep than normal. Led by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, researchers found the mutation in a healthy woman in her 70s, who slept an average of 6.3 hours per night. This was part of a wider project to identify people mat…

New Study Solves Mystery of Why Some People Thrive on Just a Few Hours of Sleep

Researchers link gene mutation to people who need just 3–6 hours of sleep. Credit: faungg’s photos / CC BY-ND 2.0 Most people need about eight hours of sleep each night to stay alert and healthy. However, a small group can function normally on three to six hours, and researchers may now understand why. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has identified a rare genetic mutation that could explain how some p…

Scientists shed new light on the mysterious memory-altering power of sleep

Scientists found that sleep plays an active role in transforming how memories are stored. After an immersive experience, participants remembered the order of events better after sleeping, suggesting the brain prioritizes storylines over details during deep sleep.