Sleep Duration

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Sleep duration refers to the total amount of sleep obtained, either during the nocturnal sleep episode or across the 24-hour period. In a normal sleep period, a person experiences four to six sleep cycles. While cycles vary in length, each sleep cycle can last about 90 minutes.

Impact of Gene Variants

Certain genetic variants influence habitual sleep duration, which explains why some individuals need more sleep than others. Twin studies have shown that the heritability estimation of sleep duration is around 10 – 40%. Another study identified 76 gene regions associated with sleep duration(1).

Ways to Recognize Problems

Problems with sleep duration can be identified through frequent conflicts, having trouble interacting with peers, having several interactions that turn sour, often upset or angry with friends or classmates, aggressive behavior, and missing out on social events.

Ways to Improve

Here are some ways to improve your sleep duration: Stick to a sleep schedule, pay attention to what you eat and drink, create a restful environment, limit daytime naps, include physical activity in your daily routine, and manage worries. Understanding whether your genes pre-dispose you to need a longer sleep duration helps to pro-actively improve the duration of your sleep which effects yoru mood and your social interactions.

Did you know

Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, yet 35.2% of U.S. adults report sleeping on average less than 7 hours per night.On average, adults sleep on their side 54% of the time, on their back 38% of the time, and on their stomach 7%. The sleep cycle repeats several times throughout a singular sleep period. During each cycle, time spent in each stage of sleep shifts.

References

1. 76 more gene regions found associated with sleep duration — Harvard Gazette