(This can be a symptom caused by not getting enough sleep, other sleep disorders, a side effect from taking another medication or an underlying medical condition.) Studies have previously identified genes linked to some sleep disorders like narcolepsy and sleep apnea, but these are the first genes specifically linked to insomnia. Disturbed sleep genes also linked to other diseasesThe new study looked at the prevalence of insomnia, sleep problems and excessive daytime sleepiness in 112,586 European adults who had participated in a UK Biobank study. The genes linked to individuals sleeping longer on average were linked to schizophrenia risk. In reality, it is likely that many different genes contribute to both sleep problems and these medical problems, Saxena said.

Source: Huffington Post January 12, 2017 22:29 UTC