Scientists identify gene that regulates sleeping patterns
POSTED December 6, 2011 - 18:31 | POSTED BY Neharika Sabharwal
Last edited by Amiteshwar on December 6, 2011 - 18:52
According to scientists, a person’s sleeping habits are controlled by a specific gene variation called ABCC9, which is involved in sensing energy levels of cells in the body.
Geneticists found those with the gene variant needed 30 minutes more sleep each night to be fully rested than those without it.
Dr Jim Wilson, of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Population Health Sciences, said, “Humans sleep for approximately one-third of their lifetime.
“A tendency to sleep for longer or shorter periods often runs in families despite the fact that the amount of sleep people need can be influenced by age, latitude, season and circadian rhythms.
“These insights into the biology of sleep will be important in unravelling the health effects of sleep behaviour.”
Sleep patterns of flies and humans examined
With the prime objective of identifying genetic variants linked to sleep behaviour, Edinburgh scientists worked with researchers from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich to study sleep patterns in fruit flies and humans.
The analysis revealed that flies without ABCC9 slept for around three hours less than considered normal.
The researchers also carried out a large study involving 10,000 people from Orkney, Croatia, the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia, and Germany.
As a part of the study, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires to assess their sleep patterns. Additionally, the volunteers provided a blood sample to analyse their DNA.
Sleep was measured on days classified as 'free', when the subjects did not need to get up for work the next day, take sleeping pills, or work shifts.
The researchers examined their genetic makeup, looking for variations in their genes that correlated with their sleep patterns.
The findings
They discovered that people who carried the variant of ABCC9 slept for longer than the ‘average’ eight hours.
Dr Wilson stated, “I was staggered when we found this gene variant, given the obvious health difficulties people suffer as a consequence of a lack of sleep.
“You have to understand a problem before you can do something about it. Hopefully more genes will now be discovered and this can also lead to us dealing better with the connected health issues.”
The study was published online in Molecular Psychiatry.
