Cure For Insomnia Now Nearer

According to a report published in the journal Science, researchers have found a genetic mutation in two people who need far less sleep than average. The discovery they note may open the door to understanding human sleep patterns and lead to treatments.

Scientists identified the genetic mutation that relates to sleep duration in humans and although the mutation was only identified in two people the findings give scientists a clearer sense of where to look for genetic traits linked to sleep patterns.

The gene mutation was discovered by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, who were conducting DNA screening on blood samples from several hundred individuals. Participants had taken part in sleep studies.

Researchers were seeking genes thought to be linked to the human sleep cycle. In what amounts to finding a needle in a haystack, they identified two DNA samples with abnormal copies of a gene called DEC2, that is known to affect circadian rhythms. Working backwards, the scientists identified the sample donors, a mother and daughter who were naturally short sleepers. The women routinely function on about 6 hours of sleep a night; the average person needs 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep.

Mice bred with the same mutation recovered more quickly from periods of sleep deprivation compared with regular mice. Experts say the discovery could lead to new discoveries about sleep timing and duration, and possibly new treatments for sleep disorders.