Sleeping is an obsession inherent to human beings. We have proof: we have developed three tools to fall asleep quickly, we know the best time to go to bed, and we even have countless tricks to rest better. However, although we have long heard that the more sleep the better for our health, this is not always the case. In fact, this year we discovered that we may have gone too far with the number of hours. Now we also know that sometimes sleeping “less” is even beneficial.

Those who sleep little. It recently featured in Scientific American. The idea that everyone should sleep between 7 and 8/9 hours a night has become established as a standardsupported by research that Lack of sleep linked to health problems such as memory loss, heart disease, immune weakness and even dementia.

However, human beings are not equal. In fact, there is a small group of people, known as the “natural short sleepers”which challenge this norm. These genetically predisposed people need only four to six hours of sleep to stay energetic and healthy, which has led scientists to rethink the traditional concept of sleep as a uniform activity.

Genetics is key. In research led by Louis Ptáček and Ying-Hui Fu at the University of California have identified several genetic mutations responsible for the phenomenon of natural short sleep. Among them, the mutation in the DEC2 gene was the first discovered. This gene regulates the production of orexin, a hormone that promotes wakefulness. In this special group, orexin levels are higherallowing them to stay awake and active with less sleep.

Subsequently, they identified mutations in other genes such as ADRB1related to sleep regulation in the brainstemand NPSR1, which influences the sleep-wake cycle. These mutations not only allow you to sleep less, but they appear to protect against the negative effects of sleep deprivation, such as decreased memory. In fact, in experiments with genetically modified mice it was observed that these animals They slept less but maintained normal cognitive performancesuggesting that their brains are more efficient at consolidating memory and eliminating toxins during sleep.

Unique benefits. People with this genetic predisposition not only benefit from reduced rest, but also exhibit unprecedented characteristics. Namely: studies indicate that They tend to be more energetic people, resilient to stress, optimistic and with a greater ability to tolerate pain.

Additionally, preliminary research suggests that they may have greater longevity due to the efficiency of their metabolic processes and brain cleansing, reducing the accumulation of toxic proteins associated with diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

“Sleep well.” The truth is that the discovery of this group challenges the traditional model of sleep, based on two processes: the circadian rhythmwhich regulates sleep and wake cycles through light, and so-called sleep homeostasis, which generates a cumulative pressure to sleep after periods of wakefulness. To explain the short sleep phenomenon, researchers have proposed a third factor, one called “behavioral impulsivity,” that drives these people to stay active even with limited rest.

In this regard, researchers like Phyllis Zee have suggested that the sleep efficiency of this group could be due to a longer time in deep sleep stages (slow waves), an accelerated brain metabolism, or perhaps a greater ability to remove waste accumulated during the day. In any case, these are all hypotheses that open new perspectives for understanding and optimizing human sleep.

The future and applications. It is the last leg to deal with. Once the existence of this group has been recognized, its study has profound implications for sleep medicine and public health. Understanding the biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon could, for example, lead to treatments for sleep disorders and to the development of interventions that optimize sleep quality for the general population.

Not only that. There are recent experiments that have shown that acoustic stimulisuch as the use of the so-called like “pink noise”can improve the slow waves of deep sleep, enhancing memory and cognitive recovery without the need to extend the rest time.

That said, it is still not fully understood how these mutations manage to make sleep more efficient. Researchers like Ptáček and Fu continue their efforts to measure group brain activity and explore how these adaptations may protect against sleep-related diseases. It is not a trivial topic. At stake is, perhaps, redefining the formulas for rest.

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