This week in sleep news …
Morning people may be related to Neanderthals
Early birds may have a genetic link to Neanderthals according to a new study published this week in Genome Biology and Evolution. Researchers have found that Neanderthal DNA has carried through in some present-day Homo sapiens and may determine whether someone is naturally an early riser. The study posits that the Neanderthal DNA seen in humans today is linked to a chronotype that has an increased tendency to be a morning person. The study’s authors think this may be due to the seasonal variation in light and dark cycles over the course of the year in the high altitudes Neanderthals lived in. The study also found that today’s early-morning chronotype is linked to a quickened pace of the circadian gene network (the molecular basis for animals’ 24-hour internal timekeeping).
Irregular sleep is tied to higher odds for dementia
Having an irregular sleep schedule could increase your chances of developing dementia according to a new study in the journal Neurology. Researchers found that when looking at irregular sleepers compared to normal sleepers, those with the most irregular sleep are 53% more likely to develop dementia than people with average sleep regularity. For anyone worried about achieving 100% sleep regularity, the study also found that the most regimented sleepers did not have a lower risk of dementia than those in the average group. This means that people don’t have to achieve perfect sleep rhythms to get the health benefits of regular sleep cycles.
Neurons responsible for poor sleep and stress found in mice
Many of us know that stress can disrupt our sleep from personal experience, but scientists haven’t been able to get a clear picture of the how and why. In a new study, researchers have now identified a group of neurons in the brains of mice that are involved in regulating blips of wakefulness, called microarousals, which they think could help explain how stress disrupts sleep. Researchers observed the stressed mice’s brain activity using electroencephalography and electromyography to monitor when the mice were asleep or awake. Additionally, they used a type of brain imaging called fiber photometry to see how specific populations of neurons fired during sleep.
They found not only that the stressed mice experienced more microarousals but that a group of neurons called glutamatergic neurons (which are critical for learning, cognition, and memory) were more active during sleep after acute stress, leading to less REM sleep.
In more fun sleep news …
Actress Dakota Johnson recently emphasized how important sleep is to her while speaking to the Wall Street Journal. Johnson shared that she can’t function unless she gets 10 hours of sleep and could easily sleep 14 hours at night. “If I’m not working, if I have a day off on a Monday, then I will sleep as long as I can,” she told the Wall Street Journal. “Sleep is my number one priority in life.” Johnson also shared that working out and meditation are also key aspects of her everyday routine.
In sleep-centric social media news …
Being a first-time anything is hard! Kelsea Bowersmith shared this hilarious clip of her father-in-law, a first-time grandpa, putting his granddaughter down in her crib and accidentally falling in.
