Can not sleep at night? In all your genes are to blame

Do you lie all night without sleep, dreaming to rest for at least a few hours? You are already tired of tossing and turning in the bed, counting not one hundred sheep, but you could not get into the magic world of sleep? It turns out that difficulties with falling asleep can get to us from parents, as they are encoded in our genes.

Common causes of insomnia

By the way, we do not talk about those cases when you can not fall asleep from time to time, for example, because you are worried about something. This refers to a full-fledged insomnia, which can last several months or even years. It can occur for a variety of reasons, including anxiety, poor sleep, physical and mental pathologies, and the side effects of certain medicines.

Previously, scientists have already assumed the existence of genetic markers that give some people a predisposition for insomnia, but a new study published in Nature Genetics gives us more confidence in the correctness of this idea than ever before.

What is genetics responsible for?

A team of scientists from the University of Amsterdam discovered seven "risk genes" among sample participants, which consisted of 113,006 people. These genes increase the likelihood of insomnia if we compare their carriers with those who do not. However, they do not necessarily cause insomnia. The fact is that the risk genes are not directly related to sleep structures, but their presence in the human genome creates a side effect, which, apparently, causes sleep problems.

The main purpose of these genes is to read DNA and make copies of RNA, and also allow cells to release signaling molecules so they can communicate with their environment. For some reason, their existence seems to correlate with an increased risk of developing several conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, neuroticism, perceived lack of well-being, educational difficulties and insomnia.

The team of researchers notes that one of these risk genes, MEIS1, was detected in cases associated with restless legs syndrome and periodic movements in sleep. These cases are characterized by sporadic physical movements, while insomnia, of course, has a destructive effect on consciousness.

Curiously, risk genes and related insomnia were more common in men (33 percent of the sample) than in women (24 percent of the sample). At present, this discrepancy has no explanation.

"This suggests that various biological mechanisms can lead to insomnia in men and women," says study author Daniel Postum, professor of statistical genetics at the University of Amsterdam.

Severe condition

Thus, we still have much to learn about insomnia, but this study suggests that genes inherited from parents play a larger role than previously thought. As we see, in some people insomnia is not only a psychological condition.

In any case, insomnia brings with it heavy mental and physical losses. If it becomes serious enough, do not rely on sleeping pills. Consult your doctor to get effective advice.