Chronotypes: Sleep, Addiction, and More

In the modern age one will often be bombarded by health tabloids with snappy titles attempting to sell you on their new diet, supplement, or lifestyle when looking for health advice. They often expound a new diet that is proven by SCIENTISTS to be ideal for sleep, lifestyle, and weight loss(compared to the other ones that are also proven to be ideal by the ever-pervasive scientists). Among this buzz of marketing it can often be difficult to get any concrete info on what's best for oneself, which is why we need to look to genetics. 

Examples of some chronotype categories

Chronotypes are a term utilised by sleep scientists to categorise individuals based on inborne preferences related to their internal clock/circadian rhythms. This genetic predisposition can be positively correlated with a variety of interesting things that one may be believe are simply lifestyle-related. Things like preferring late nights or mornings for work, risk for video game or internet addiction, and even appetite have been positively correlated to chronotypes. Being more of a "neutral" chronotype, as in following the sun more or less, is correlated with less risk of obesity, normal metabolism, and less risk for addiction. On the contrary, a more "extreme" chronotype, those being extreme night owls or early risers, are more at risk for sleep-related illness, addiction, and potentially more. Overall, if one is concerned about their health it may be worth looking into chronotype studies to figure out how their genetics may be affecting their day to day. 

Sources: 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/best-time-wake-day-genetics-194209285.html?guccounter=1

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/chronotypes

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/chronotype#:~:text=Chronotype%20refers%20to%20the%20endogenous,to%20personality%20and%20lifestyle%20aspects.

Genetic reason for morning people and night owls

Can your genes have an affect on whether a person enjoys waking up early or would rather hit the snooze button and go back to sleep?

People that claim themselves to be a morning person tend to find it easier to wake up early in the morning than people that claim they aren't morning people. Scientists have completed research that claims that this is based upon the genetics of individuals. There are over 300 genes that are associated with the way a person sleeps and is why some humans don't like waking up early in the morning.

By complying to our genetic bed time researchers found that people had improved mental health and productivity based on whether or not they went to bed 25 minutes earlier. The APH1A gene is associated with the circadian cycle of people but is mostly commonly known in Alzheimer's patients. This genes involvement in both Alzheimer's and sleep could be the reason why many patients with Alzheimers have trouble sleeping.

Morning Person or Night Owl: It's In the Genes

Have you ever wondered why some people spring up early in the morning while others drag their feet like zombies and need numerous pots of coffee to be prepared for the day. Or the complete opposite where people can stay up until the mere hours of the night while others struggle to catch the 11 o' clock news? Well, with the work from researchers at the University of Leicester used a study done on fruit flies to identify that these characteristics in humans and other organisms is genetically linked.

They conducted their research by studying the chronotype in fruit flies and took note of when they emerged from their pupal case. They discovered that most emerged during the morning hours while a smaller some emerged later in the day. The flies that were late to emerge were then bred together and what was found is that researchers were able to breed flies with the same chronotype as their parents meaning that early and late rising is genetic.

A genetic analysis was ran 24 hours prior to the emergence of the flies and what was found is that it was not just the same genes that were active during at different time in both types of flies but also that the genes were characteristically different themselves.  Researchers explained that different gene expression in the early risers and night owls is due to genetic variations in their DNA sequence. Meaning that the cause of some flies or humans arising later than others is not due to a delay in the genetic clock of individuals but is actually completely different in every aspect.

I found this article very interesting because while reading the article I came across the reason this research is being done and I found that it is going to be most beneficial for us as human beings to better understand our biological clock. We are all required to work "normal" shifts such as a 9 to 5 work day or school day and it is becoming more evident that everyone has a peak in their day when their performance is at its highest and that is what should be the basis of people's schedules.