Could Certain Kids Inherently Lean Towards Persistent Insomnia?
Study Reveals Genetic Link Between Sleep Quality and Quantity in Children
Research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry has identified genetic variants that may impact sleep quality and duration in children, similar to findings in adults.
In a study involving 2,458 children of European ancestry, researchers found that children with a genetic predisposition to insomnia, as indicated by a polygenic risk score developed for adults, displayed more frequent signs of insomnia, such as difficulty initiating sleep or experiencing frequent awakenings, as reported by their mothers. Conversely, those with a genetic predisposition toward longer sleep tended to have longer sleep durations during adolescence but were more likely to remain awake at night.
The study's authors argue that these findings provide indirect evidence for a persistent "poor sleeper" trait across a person's lifetime.
"Our study shows that genetic susceptibility for poor sleep translates from adults to children," said Desana Kocevska, PhD, corresponding author of the study, from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and the Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam. "This finding emphasizes the importance of early recognition and prevention."
While the specific study referenced in the provided results was not explicitly mentioned, recent research in the field of genetic predisposition to insomnia in children reveals several key insights.
- Children with a high genetic risk for insomnia are more likely to display insomnia-like symptoms from toddlerhood through adolescence.
- Genetically driven short sleep duration is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and depression and a shorter lifespan.
- Variations in circadian genes (e.g., PER3, BHLHE41) and neurotransmitter-related genes (adenosinergic and dopaminergic pathways) can influence whether a child is prone to insomnia, night owl tendencies, and their ability to recover from sleep deprivation.
- Poor sleep quality from genetic predisposition can affect daytime alertness, academic performance, and mental health.
These findings highlight the importance of early assessment and tailored sleep interventions to mitigate the long-term health and developmental risks associated with genetic predisposition to insomnia in children.
- The study's findings indicate a connection between genetics and sleep quality in children, similar to the relationship in adults, as revealed in the realm of psychology and neuroscience.
- Research suggests that children with a high genetic risk for insomnia may exhibit signs of sleep problems from toddlerhood through adolescence, potentially impacting health-and-wellness and mental-health over time.
- Sleep interventions, when tailored to a child's genetic predisposition, may help mitigate long-term health risks and enhance academic performance and mental health, thus underlining the significance of considering genetics in sleep research and sleep-oriented health-and-wellness strategies.
