Why Poor Sleep Might Be In Our Genes

    I’ve always wondered why some people can knock out the second their head hits the pillow while others toss and turn for hours. I used to think it was just bad habits or too much caffeine, but after looking into it more, I learned that genetics play a bigger role in sleep than most people realize. I read a study that found certain genetic variations are linked to insomnia, meaning some people are naturally more prone to sleep issues even if they do everything “right” (Jansen et al., 2019). That made me feel better about the nights I lie awake for no reason. It’s not always about poor sleep hygiene or staying up too late. Sometimes your biology just works differently.

    Another study I found talked about how genetics also influence our internal clock, which is the system that tells our body when to be awake and when to feel tired (Jones et al., 2019). That explains why some people are naturally night owls while others wake up at sunrise full of energy. It also made me think about how unfair it is to judge someone for being “lazy” or “unmotivated” when their brain literally runs on a different schedule. After learning this, I started seeing sleep less as a moral thing and more as something tied deeply to genetics and brain chemistry. Everyone’s wiring is different, and for some people, sleep just doesn’t come easy. I think understanding the genetic side of sleep can help people be a little kinder to themselves and each other, especially when struggling with something as basic and universal as rest.

References

Jansen, P. R., Watanabe, K., Stringer, S., Skene, N., Bryois, J., Hammerschlag, A. R., … & Posthuma, D. (2019). Genome-wide analysis of insomnia in 1,331,010 individuals identifies new risk loci and functional pathways. Nature Genetics, 51, 394–403. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0333-3

Jones, S. E., Lane, J. M., Wood, A. R., van Hees, V. T., Tyrrell, J., Beaumont, R. N., … & Weedon, M. N. (2019). Genome-wide association analyses of chronotype reveal extensive genetic links to circadian rhythms and sleep behavior. Nature Communications, 10, 343. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08259-7