Lack of Sleep Dramatically Alters Genes

Sleep is as important as nutrition and is a significant health concern. The quantity and quality of sleep plays a major role in our physical well-being.

A latest study conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey has come up with an alarming finding which states that inadequate sleep alters the activity of hundreds of human genes. These are the genes that are associated with response to stress, immunity and controlling inflammation.

In this study, the researchers examined the activity of all genes of human genome and noticed that less than six hours of sound sleep alters the activity of up to 700 genes.

The harmful health effects linked to lack of sleep are obesity, cognitive impairment and heart disease. Till date, it has remained a mystery whether lack of sleep alters the gene expression patterns. According to the study, 'gene expression' patterns offer essential indications on the molecular mechanisms relating sleep and overall health.

The researchers examined the blood samples of 26 people who had more than sufficient sleep, i.e., 10 hours every night for a week. These results were compared with the blood samples of those people who slept for less than six hours every night for a week. They noticed an alteration in more than 700 genes.

Apart from this, they also noticed that the lack of sleep dropped the number of genes that generally increase and decrease in expression throughout the 24-hour day from 1,855 to 1,481.  The number of genes affected by lack of sleep was seven times higher after a week of inadequate sleep.

Derk-Jan Dijk, director of the Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey said in a press statement, "This research has helped us to understand the effects of insufficient sleep on gene expression.  Now that we have identified these effects we can use this information to further investigate the links between gene expression and overall health."

The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.