My sleep deprivation is your natural short sleep

For years, sleep has been an elusive companion, sometimes a sensation and other times an undeniable reality, as evidenced by the watch that incessantly prompts the user to retire to bed. This persistent reminder is a source of anxiety and racing heartbeats, despite the belief in fine daytime performance. Sleep researcher Catia Reis from the University of Lisbon believes that sleep deprivation can impair judgment, potentially explaining this phenomenon.

Reis has studied various sleep-related conditions, including jet lag and sleep deprivation among shift workers. Comparing subjective and objective assessments, Reis found a discrepancy in people's ability to self-assess their sleepiness, indicating the brain's inability to accurately gauge its own state. Sleep is crucial for the body's restorative functions, such as toxin removal, energy generation, and learning and memory.

Insufficient sleep can lead to accumulated toxins, potentially causing heart or brain disease. Fu, another sleep researcher at the University of California, San Franscisco, emphasizes the importance of sleep for overall health, explaining that without air, one dies within minutes, without water, within days, and without sleep, within weeks.

Natural short sleepers, who can function well on fewer than six hours of sleep, appear to possess genetic variations that enable them to thrive. These variations are not mutations, as mutations are often linked to negative health effects. Fu and her lab identified DEC2 and ADRB1 genes linked to Natural Short Sleeper Syndrome, and further research into genes such as NPSR1, GRM1, and SIK3 has expanded the understanding of this condition.

Despite the small number of known natural short sleepers, Fu believes the condition is likely more common than currently recognized. She emphasizes the need for further research, particularly longitudinal studies involving natural short sleepers, to better understand their unique genetic makeup and its impact on their health.