Are You Genetically Programmed to Need Less Sleep?

If you’re able to conquer the world on just six hours of sleep while the rest of us need the sunset to sundown shut-eye to barely function properly, you might be one of the few people in the world with a genetic mutation called SIK3.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified another “natural short sleeper” gene, or NSS, for short. Their study involved a woman in her 70s who sleeps a meager 6.3 hours a night without turning into a cranky ghoul.

She is a carrier of the rare SIK3 mutation. That brings the grand total to five known genetic mutations that let people skip hours of sleep without devolving into madness by noon.

Your Genes Determine How Much Sleep You Need, and Some People Need Next to None

To see if this mutant gene was doing what they suspected it was, scientists injected it into mice. While the mice weren’t ready and raring to go after only a few hours of sleep, there was at least some noticeable difference in their sleep patterns.

Mice usually sleep for around 12 hours a day, but after genetic editing, they cut back on sleep by an average of half an hour. Not a massive difference, but a difference nonetheless.

Brain scans showed the SIK3 mutant protein was active in the synapses that connected neurons, telling brain cells to keep going no matter what. The SIK3 gene produces kinase, a kind of protein signal dispatcher that fires off signals to other proteins to alter their function.

The mutated version of this dispatcher apparently cuts sleep needs without losing any of the crucial overnight brain housekeeping. Researchers think this could eventually lead to sleep disorder treatments or sleep-boosting pills.

Until then, another round of espressos is in order so we don’t fall asleep at our desks.