It seems we have discovered the reason why some people, being a “short sleeper”, need just 6 hours of sleep, being well awake at 5 o’clock in the morning!So, if we’ll be late in the morning, we’ll be able to say that it’s not our fault, it’s a matter of Genetics instead!
So, let’s thank the University of California San Francisco! The researchers there have already published twice on this topic (in 2009 and 2018). They have isolated a rare mutation in the DEC2 gene, which would help “short sleepers” to wake up much earlier and remain vigilant longer. Short sleepers are happy with just 6 hours of sleep instead of the usual 8 hours.
This rare mutation in DEC2 induces an increase in the endogenous production of orexin, a hormone related to the regulation of the cicardian rhythm, before dawn.
