Why do some people sleep less without problems?

The genius Nikola Tesla or US President Donald Trump is just one of the few people who sleep less than 4 hours a night and still work normally. Although sleep is less than most people, they still have no problems. The real cause is determination or genetics?

Neuroscientists from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) recently found a gene that could have a direct impact on how much sleep someone gets.

In the scientific report, the researchers found that people with genetic mutations still seemed to be able to function well after only 6 hours of sleep without any adverse effects related to sleep deprivation. .

Without that mutation, just 6 hours of sleep will make you moody, will need a cup of coffee to stay awake and even risk your health.

Louis Ptáček, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco, said: "It is remarkable that we know very little about sleep, because ordinary people spend a third of their lives doing it. The study is an exciting new discovery that allows us to dissect the complexities of vessels in the brain and the different types of neurons that contribute to sleep and wakefulness. '

In fact, this is not the first gene the team has discovered is linked to how much sleep we need.

In 2009, researchers in another laboratory discovered that people who inherited a particular mutation in a gene called DEC2 averaged only 6.25 hours of sleep per night, while those who lacked The median mutation slept until 8.06 hours.

The new gene came to light when researchers found a natural naps family without the DEC2 mutation. The researchers screened genes between people who naturally slept and found a slight mutation with another gene.

The genes in question, ADRB1, seem to affect neurons and their activity levels in a region of the brain known to control the stages of sleep.

To dig deeper into the riddle, they then genetically modified to carry the mutant ADRB1 variant. Mice with the mutant ADRB1 neuron slept on average 55 minutes less than normal mice.

The researchers found that mice with typical ADRB1 neurons in this area were more active during waking and REM (rapid eye movement), the deep stage of sleep-related sleep. apricot (although it works fairly quiet during no REM). It seems that the ADRB1 mutation is affecting the circadian rhythm of mice.

"Sleep is complex," Ptáček added. "We don't think there is a gene or a region of the brain telling us to sleep or wake up. This is just one of many parts."