Genetic Mutation: Why Some People Sleep Only 4 Hours a Day.

According to ТСН: According to Forbes, there are people known as natural short sleepers (Familial Natural Short Sleepers, FNSS). Studies conducted over two decades have shown that their ability to get by without sleep is related to the activity of certain genes.

Genetic Mutations and Their Impact

In 2009, the journal Science published the first study confirming that the mutation of the DEC2 gene reduces the need for sleep. A woman and her daughter with this mutation slept less than ordinary people. The same changes were tested on mice and flies, which also slept less and coped better with sleep deprivation.

Subsequently, several other unique genetic variants were identified:

• ADRB1 (2019, Neuron) - a mutation observed in three generations of a family, associated with more active wakefulness.

• NPSR1 (2020, Science Translational Medicine) - a change in the neuropeptide S receptor that promotes alertness.

Mechanisms of Natural Short Sleeping

Each mutation acts in its own way, but the result is the same - people need less sleep. Biologists highlight several mechanisms of FNSS:

• weakening the signal “time to sleep” (DEC2),

• strengthening the signal “stay alert” (NPSR1),

• changing wakefulness activation (ADRB1).

In simple terms, the brain has a weaker “inhibitory” signal and a stronger “stimulating” signal, so short sleep is not harmful.

Impact on Health

Studies have shown that carriers of such mutations do not suffer from chronic sleep deprivation - their cognitive and metabolic rates remain at normal levels. In animals, short sleep even slowed neurodegenerative processes. However, scientists warn: such mutations are very rare.

Most people who sleep little are not natural short sleepers. Their lack of sleep is usually caused by stress, work, or an unhealthy lifestyle, which can lead to serious health problems.

Currently, research on short sleep opens new horizons in understanding sleep and its role in human life. Although carriers of genetic mutations that allow one to get by without sleep are rare, this research helps scientists better understand the mechanisms of sleep and potential ways to improve its quality for most people.