- EXPLORE FURTHER: Researchers Explain Why You Should Always Avoid the Snooze Button
We frequently hear about the advantages of sleeping for at least seven hours each night.
However, a recent research has shown that a select few individuals can flourish with just three hours of sleep.
As for the rest of us, we'd probably doze off at our workstations or fall asleep on the commute home, but these individuals seem wide-awake and full of energy.
Currently, experts have identified a new genetic variation associated with 'short sleeper syndrome'.
It might also aid in crafting therapies for sleep issues like insomnia and sleep apnea.
So, are you among the fortunate ones who can thrive with only a few hours of sleep?
"Our bodies remain active even as we sleep, engaging in processes like detoxification and repair," said co-author Ying-Hui Fu, a neuroscientist from the University of California in San Francisco. Nature .
These individuals, all these processes our body carries out when we sleep, can operate at a more advanced level compared to when we're awake.
Ever since the start of the new millennium, Professor Fu along with her team has been examining the genetic makeup of individuals who require only six hours or fewer of sleep each night.
Up until now, they have pinpointed five alterations in four genes that might lead to this characteristic.
This encompasses a single gene that aids in controlling the circadian rhythm – the internal mechanism accountable for managing our sleep-wake cycle.
A segment of the most recent update study The researchers looked for novel genetic changes in the DNA of a person with natural short sleep duration, who typically got about 6.3 hours of rest each night.
They found one in SIK3, a gene responsible for producing a specific kind of protein that transmits chemical messages to other proteins, prompting them to alter their function.
The researchers discovered that mice carrying the same genetic mutation also experienced reduced sleep time, albeit only slightly.
These creatures usually sleep for about 12 hours daily, whereas those with the genetic alteration got roughly 31 minutes less shut-eye.
The research revealed that the genetic alteration could reduce sleep duration by enhancing the brain’s capacity to manage its regulation and sustain a balanced state.
As the mice experienced only a minor loss of sleep, this suggests that the SIK3 mutation isn’t responsible for decreased sleep requirements, according to Clifford Saper, a neurologist from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nevertheless, it undoubtedly has some effect.
"This research aligns perfectly with our current knowledge of SIK3, which could aid us in comprehending the underlying reasons for drowsiness," he stated.
The research team aims to identify sufficient mutations in natural short sleepers with the hope of gaining deeper insights into sleep regulation in humans. This understanding might eventually pave the way for treatments addressing sleep disorders.
Well-known individuals like Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher were known to have gotten very little sleep, with reports suggesting they managed on as few as four or five hours of rest per night. Nonetheless, such a practice is not recommended for the typical individual.
A research conducted in 2022 discovered that sleeping for fewer than five hours each night during one’s latter years might increase the likelihood of developing a long-term ailment by twenty percent.
Scientists examined data from 7,864 Britons who reported their typical weekday sleep duration when they were 50, 60, and 70 years old.
Over a span of 25 years, these individuals were monitored to determine whether they developed one of 13 prevalent chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or dementia.
Individuals who are 50 years old and get only five hours of sleep each night or less, as opposed to those who sleep for seven hours, have been observed to be 20 percent more likely to initially develop one of the 13 diseases studied.
However, they were also at an increased risk of subsequently developing two or more of these conditions.
This indicates that insufficient sleep is not just associated with future health issues, but also with various conditions that individuals may suffer from simultaneously, thereby increasing their likelihood of needing hospitalization and facing disabilities.
Jo Whitmore, a senior cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation, which supported the study, commented, "This research contributes to an increasing amount of evidence emphasizing the significance of obtaining quality sleep."
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