A consistent 4 hours of sleep sounds like a living hell to most people, but to some, it’s all their bodies need. The percentage of the population carrying the DEC2 gene mutation that causes “short sleep,” is small. People with this genetic mutation only need a few hours of sleep per night to feel completely rested — 4-6 hours, to be exact — and it completely contradicts the public view of sleep. The popular belief is that human beings need to get 8 hours of sleep per night, but genes don’t bear that out. People with the short sleep gene mutation actually claim that if they sleep as much as 7 hours, they feel worse. DEC2 helps control levels of orexin, a hormone linked to wakefulness as well as reward, mood and appetite. Narcolepsy — the opposite of short sleep – is caused by too much of this same hormone. DEC2 is the timekeeper that makes sure orexin levels match the circadian rhythm. For those who have the short sleep gene, there seems to be no adverse effects. In fact, from what they say, they’re pretty energetic and feel refreshed. If you’re reading this and thinking these habits sound pretty familiar, you may be a carrier. Do you wake up before the rest of the world — not because you trained yourself to but because your body just does? Are you active throughout the day? Do you feel lethargic when you sleep more than 6 hours a night? If you answered yes to these questions, it may be worth checking your genotype.
