Those friends who claim they "only need" five or six hours of sleep, as compared to your lazy eight? Researchers suggest their lowered slumber needs are a genetic mutation, and that the rest of us shouldn't fight our instincts.
Photo by littledan77.
In other words, genetic researchers have found what appears to be a marked difference in a gene that regulates daily body cycles and rhythms between people who seem to usually sleep just five or six hours, on average, and those who need the standard eight or eight and a half hours each night.
The researchers suggest that while those they studied with the apparent lower sleep needs "didn't appear unusually tired," follow-up studies would be needed to determine just how those light sleepers work through a day's cycle, and whether or not their energy and attention levels see an overall impact.
What does this mean for those of us without an ability to burn the candle from both ends? Perhaps it's a good reminder of the unmistakable need to schedule time better, respect one's need for rest, and feel less guilt at a desire for an occasional nap. If you can't be a member of the circadian X-Men, you'll just have to get more out of your normal waking hours.