Some people only need 6 hours of sleep

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Unlike most people who need 8 hours of sleep, a gene is responsible for waking up some people who only need to sleep for six hours, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco found that more than 50 families needed less than six and a half hours of sleep to feel comfortable the next day.

The researchers isolated the genetic mutation that they thought was responsible, linked to the ADRB1 gene, which increases the activity of brain cells that promote sleep, and can therefore stimulate early awakening, according to Russia today. # 39; hui.

In a family with a short sleep rate, all those who need a little sleep share the same genetic mutation, while their parents who sleep longer do not have it.

"This study is an exciting new interface that allows us to dissect the complexity of circuits in the brain and the different types of neurons that contribute to sleep and alertness," said Dr. Louis Petak, associate professor in the Department of Neurology. l & # 39; University.

The experts know a lot about the genes of circadian rhythms and the hours of our natural bodies. But the genes that regulate the amount of sleep people need have not been discovered by discovering the first family of individuals who slept for a short time a decade ago.

The results, published in the journal Neuron, showed that the ADRB1 gene was different among family members who reported normal work after only 6 hours of sleep.

The very rare genetic mutation controls the activity of the dorsal parts, a part of the brain associated with sleep.

When researchers used the genetic modification technique in mice to create the mutation itself, it turned out that rodents slept 55 minutes less on average than normal.

This discovery could lead to the development of new drugs that help people sleep, but extensive studies are needed to find other genetic causes for sleep in the short term.