{
  "id": 174815,
  "title": "My sleep deprivation is your natural short sleep",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/my-sleep-deprivation-is-your-natural-short-sleep",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-05T12:14:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Deutsche Welle Science",
    "slug": "deutsche-welle-science",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/my-sleep-deprivation-is-your-natural-short-sleep/a-78247228?maca=en-rss-en-science-4552-rdf"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For as long as anyone can remember, the reporter has struggled with sleep. Their watch often reminds them to go to bed early and registers poor sleep quality, causing anxiety and an inability to relax. However, despite feeling rested the following day, the reporter remains puzzled by their sleep patterns.\n\nCatia Reis, a sleep researcher at the University of Lisbon, suggests that sleep deprivation leads to poor decision-making, which may explain the reporter's situation. Despite feeling fine during the week, the reporter tends to sleep in on weekends, indicating a sleep debt. Reis has studied various sleep issues, including the impact of jet lag and sleep deprivation among shift workers.\n\nComparing the sleepiness levels of patients with sleep apnea and shift workers, Reis found a discrepancy in their self-assessment of sleepiness. The longer they were exposed to sleepiness, the less accurately they could judge their own sleep needs. This highlights the brain's central role in sleep and the consequences of sleep deprivation on overall health.\n\nSleep plays a crucial role in the body's restoration process, removing toxins, generating energy, and supporting learning and memory. Sleep researcher Ying-Hui Fu from the University of California San Francisco explains that sleep problems are linked to various brain diseases, including neurological and psychiatric disorders. On average, humans require 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep per night, but some individuals, known as natural short sleepers, can function well on less than six hours of sleep.\n\nWhile occasional short sleep may seem impressive, Fu warns that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to toxins accumulating in the body, increasing the risk of heart or brain diseases. In extreme cases, it can be fatal. Fu emphasizes that water and sleep are two essential factors for human survival, with sleep being equally vital as air and water.\n\nNatural short sleepers, who can function normally on fewer than six hours of sleep, have unique genetic variations that allow them to thrive. Fu and her team discovered these genetic variations in the genes DEC2 and ADRB1. These findings suggest that natural short sleepers possess a range of functions in their genes that promote better sleep and overall health. However, there is still limited research on natural short sleepers, and Fu hopes that increased awareness will lead to more studies and ultimately improve the health of the entire population.",
  "summary": "Every so often we hear of high-ranking politicians or CEOs claiming to get by on very little sleep — some as little as three hours a night. If they’re not Natural Short Sleepers, chances are they’re heading for trouble.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "My sleep deprivation is your natural short sleep",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/my-sleep-deprivation-is-your-natural-short-sleep-175641",
        "published": "2026-08-05T12:14:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}