Four hours of sleep instead of eight - and no negative consequences. Sounds like a fantasy, but scientists have discovered a genetic mutation that provides it. People with this rare feature feel cheerful after a short sleep and do not suffer from chronic fatigue or worsening health. About it reports The Independent with reference to new scientific data.
The mutation in the SIK3 gene, named N783y, changes the structure of the protein that is involved in the regulation of sleep - namely in the process of transmitting phosphate molecules between neurons. As a result, the activity of the brain during sleep changes, in particular, the need for its duration decreases.
Although the World Health Organization advises to sleep for 7-9 hours every night, people with Natural Short Sleep are poured in 4-6 hours - and feel better than after a longer sleep. This proves that the "sleep rate" can be more flexible than it was thought before.
Experiments on mice with a mutation N783y confirmed that even animals with such a change sleep less, but have a deeper sleep, as evidenced by the increase in the capacity of the delta wave in the brain. This discovery makes the SIK3 gene for a promising target to create new sleeping pills or improved sleep quality products.
Scientists believe that the study of this phenomenon will not only better understand the mechanisms of sleep, but also develop innovative therapy - for example, for those who suffer from insomnia or disorders of circadian rhythms.
