Four hours of sleep instead of eight — and no negative consequences. It sounds like fiction, but scientists have discovered a genetic mutation that provides just that. People with this rare feature feel energetic after just a short sleep and do not suffer from chronic fatigue or deterioration of health. This is reported by The Independent with reference to new scientific data.
The mutation in the SIK3 gene, called N783Y, changes the structure of a protein involved in sleep regulation, namely in the process of transferring phosphate molecules between neurons. As a result, brain activity during sleep changes, in particular, the need for its duration decreases.
While the World Health Organization recommends 7–9 hours of sleep per night, people with the NSS (Natural Short Sleep) mutation get to sleep in 4–6 hours—and feel better than after a longer sleep. This proves that the “sleep norm” may be more flexible than previously thought.
Experiments on mice with the N783Y mutation confirmed that even animals with this change sleep less, but have deeper sleep, as evidenced by an increase in the power of delta waves in the brain. This discovery makes the SIK3 gene a promising target for the creation of new sleeping pills or means to improve sleep quality.
Scientists believe that studying this phenomenon will not only allow us to better understand the mechanisms of sleep, but also to develop innovative therapies - for example, for those suffering from insomnia or circadian rhythm disorders.
