Many people sleep six or fewer hours a day, but they don’t come by it naturally. They rely on caffeinated drinks and alarm clocks to keep them going.
But about 5 percent of the population are considered naturally short sleepers — meaning they go to bed at a normal hour and wake up alert and energized in the wee hours of the morning, sleeping about two hours less a night than the average person. Finding out what makes short sleepers tick and why they need so much less sleep than the rest of us could unlock answers about insomnia and other sleep problems.
In a landmark study, University of California-San Francisco researchers have identified a gene mutation associated with less sleep, a finding considered to be a major breakthrough in sleep science. To learn more, read the full story, “Mutation Tied to Need for Less Sleep Is Discovered”.
August 16th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Ever since I saw this in the paper yesterday I was hoping I was one of these people. I can seem to get along on six hours sometimes, but instead of going to bed at a normal time and rising early, I’m the opposite — a night owl who does my best work while others are sleeping.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Thats true, I get maybe 5 or 6 hrs. a night. I still get up early for work.