People Who Only Need 5 Hours Of Sleep A Night To Function Usually Share These 3 Rare Traits
If you're one of these lucky sleepers, it's probably genetic.
G-Stock Studio | Shutterstock If you find yourself waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. after going to sleep around 11 p.m. or midnight, rest assured that you aren't the only person experiencing this. You may, in fact, have a rare gene known as the "short sleep gene." Researchers have determined that our circadian rhythm may be genetically predetermined and that sleep patterns are inherited.
The short sleep gene is a genetic mutation that allows people to function with little amounts of sleep without any ill effects. That is, people can sleep for less than 6 hours a night and feel well rested. They don't feel deprived of sleep or tired at all. In fact, they feel completely refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead with as little as 4 hours of sleep. The mutation is inherited.
Researchers have discovered several "short sleep" gene mutations. Ying-Hui Fu, from the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues have been seeking out and studying families in which some people seem to need less sleep than normal. Through this research, Fu has discovered several genetic mutations that make family members able to survive and thrive on just a few hours of sleep a night.
Fu’s team first reported in 2009 that a mutation in a gene called DEC2 caused short sleepers to stay awake longer. Then, Fu discovered that a mutation in the ADRB1 gene allowed 12 members of a family to sleep as little as 4.5 hours per night without feeling tired. Later, a third mutation in a gene called NPSR1 caused members of another family to average between 4.3 and 5.5 hours of sleep per night found by both Louis Ptáček, MD, and Fu.
Although not common, the short sleep gene allows the lucky few to enjoy 5 hours of sleep or less a night and still wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day. As if that wasn't enough of a boon, people who only need 5 hours of sleep a night also share some rare traits that longer sleepers are forced to live without.
People who only need 5 hours of sleep a night usually share these 3 rare traits:
1. Increased productivity
While the gene might seem like your worst nightmare if you dread getting out of bed in the mornings, those with the gene seem to put those extra hours to good use.
Researchers discovered that many short sleepers were ambitious, Type A personalities, but also incredibly positive, outgoing, and optimistic. Many were marathon runners with positive physical and physiological traits that may be linked to their sleep patterns.
These findings suggest that the genetic mutation prevents short sleepers from experiencing any adverse effects of sleep deprivation, which is typically associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, depression, and cognitive deficits.
2. Enhanced memory
Another win for short sleepers is their phenomenal memories. Not only do they have more time awake to make these memories, but they’re also actually more likely to recall them in later years!
Fu said some 90-95% of the people in the studies had these common characteristics and were able to avoid memory deficits associated with sleep deprivation.
To confirm this research, memory tests were performed on mice that were engineered to possess the gene. Mice were placed in a chamber and gently shocked with an electrical current while exploring their surroundings.
When the normal mice were well-rested, they remembered the shock and refused to roam after being returned to the chamber. Sleep-deprived mice, on the other hand, didn't exhibit fear and seemed to forget the shock when they were returned. However, carriers of the mutant version of NPSR1 did remember the electrical shocks, even after being sleep deprived.
3. No need for naps and caffeine
Can you even imagine waking up with a spring in your step and not needing caffeine to get you there? For most of us, that first cup of joe is the literal elixir of life, transforming us from sleepy zombie to somewhat able to function. Sleep short gene folks have no need for that morning caffeine fix, however. They might like it, but they don't need it.
Elizabeth B. Klerman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told Popular Science that there's a major distinction between people who train themselves to exist in a sleep-deprived state and actual short sleepers, and a key distinction is that short sleepers have no need for caffeine or naps, ever.
It is believed that only about 1% of the world's population are true short sleepers and have this mutated gene.
To give you a sense of just how rare the gene occurs in fewer than one in 4 million people. The NPSR1 and ARDB1 mutations are equally rare.
As of right now, there really isn't a proven way to know if you're a short sleeper or if your body has just gotten accustomed to little sleep, unless you go through DNA testing, which can cost a pretty penny. However, if you have several of the usual traits of short sleepers, the possibility that you are one is high. You could still just have a sleep disorder or sleep deprivation, but it's a good place to start.
You may have the short sleep gene or be a natural short sleeper if:
- You consistently sleep for six hours or less and are naturally able to wake up without an alarm.
- You have abnormal sleep cycles.
- After less than 6 hours, you wake up feeling refreshed and awake.
- You retain the ability to think clearly despite sleeping very little.
- You don’t rely on caffeine or taking naps to get through the day.
- You have always slept less, even as a child, and were completely fine.
- If you sleep more than 6 hours, you feel hungover or sick.
Alice Kelly is a writer with a passion for lifestyle, entertainment, and trending topics.
