Are Sleep Issues Genetic?

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Are Sleep Issues Genetic?
Do you have difficulty falling asleep or
frequently wake up in the middle of the night?
Have you started snoring or realized that you
have been facing sleep troubles a lot lately?
And, do you see your close family members
showing almost similar symptoms as you and find
it weird? Have you ever thought that Maybe sleep
issues are in your genetics? Have you ever
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considered that it may not be your old mattress
that is keeping you awake at night but rather
your genes? Genes have always played a vital
role in our whole being, from looks to behavior,
and sleep issues are not far from it. Just like
everything else, scientists have studied the
relationship between our genetics and sleep
issues. This article is about whether genetics
affect sleep and whether sleep disorders run in
families.
How does genetics work, and how is it connected
with sleep issues?
Genetics is basically studying your genes. Genes
are small sections of our DNA that we can find
inside every living beings cells. Genes carry
the information that is passed down from parent
to kid through chromosomes.
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The reason why children receive characteristics
from their parents or ancestors, such as hair,
eyes, facial features, and so forth, is because
of these genes. According to research, genetic
factors play a substantial role in both healthy
sleep patterns and various sleep disorders such
as narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and
obstructive sleep apnea. Is there a sleep
gene? According to further research conducted on
monozygotic and dizygotic twins, scientists have
not found any single sleep gene. Researchers
claim that sleep controls and influences
multiple yet unknown genes. Sleep is a
complicated phenotype that includes a repeated
cognitive and behavioral state, unprecedented
Electrophysiological changes, timing over the
round- the-clock, and reactions to
depletion. Are sleep issues genetic? Yes and no.
According to researchers, several sleep issues
have been found in genetic bases along with
regular sleep and circadian rhythm amongst
animals and humans. Although, research on sleep
and related issues is developing quickly, which
will lead to greater understanding in each
field. Another research suggests that though
sleep issues have a genetic base, they are
highly related to environmental triggers. For
instance, some people are more prone than others
to encounter certain contextual situations, like
job stress, in part due to hereditary factors.
Our genes also have a role in determining how
sensitive to these experiences they will be,
including whether or not they will keep us awake
at night. Our genes dont really alter, but
rather how they affect us, whether they
are turned on or off and up or down like a
switch, can be controlled by our environment.
This phenomenon is known as epigenetics, which
means above genetics, and is another example of
how genetic and environmental factors
interact. Other factors that influence your genes
are physiological and psychological. For
example, some people develop a habit of drinking
alcohol before going
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to bed. The pattern becomes so subtle that they
dont even realize that its affecting their
sleep cycle and causing sleep issues.
Which sleep disorders are you likely to get
because of genetics?

• Several well-established research on twin and
  family sleep disorders suggests genetics may
  have a role in developing sleep disorders in
  generations. There are now a few sleep disorders
  with known genetic causes. These include
• insomnia,
• narcolepsy with cataplexy,
• familial advanced sleep-phase disease,
• Restless leg syndrome
• Sleep apnea
• Circadian rhythm disorders

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Lets take a brief look at the relationship
between these sleep disorders and genes Is
insomnia genetic? Yes, according to research,
insomnia may be hereditarily prone. Your genes,
however, do not predispose you to develop
insomnia. Instead, a few genes might make you
more vulnerable. There is clear genetic evidence
for both chronic primary insomnia and fatal
family insomnia. Furthermore, little sleep
interferes with your genes ability to operate
normally, thus complicating the situation. The
most prevalent sleep condition, insomnia, affects
6 to 10 of individuals and can have
catastrophic consequences for a patient.
Frequently, the problem might go untreated, which
can have serious repercussions. Even if you
have a genetic tendency to insomnia, you can
still get therapy, and the procedure is the same
whether you do or not. Is narcolepsy
genetic? The majority of narcolepsy occurrences
are spontaneous, meaning they affect persons
with no family history of the condition. However,
recent research has discovered compelling
evidence that narcolepsy has an autoimmune
pathophysiology. A tiny proportion of all
symptoms have been said to run in families
however, there is no distinct inheritance pattern
for the illness. The chance of acquiring the
disorder is 40 times higher in first-degree
relatives such as parents, siblings, and kids of
those with narcolepsy with cataplexy than in the
general population. According to research, it
could be autosomal recessive or genetically
heterogeneous, meaning that each parent passes
one mutant gene copy to the kid. However,
narcolepsy may not be present in the parents of a
kid with an autosomal recessive condition.
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Is restless leg syndrome genetic? RLS, commonly
referred to as Ekbom syndrome, is a common
movement condition with neurological symptoms
that manifest during peaceful awake and sleep.
RLS has an unclear underlying origin however,
genetic factors are heavily involved in its
prognosis, especially when it first appears in
children. More than 80 percent of infected people
mention having at least one first-degree
relative with a similar condition, such as a
parent or sibling, and many families have many
affected family members. The condition frequently
runs in families. According to studies, the
disorders early-onset type is more likely than
its late-onset version to run in families. RLS,
or Restless legs syndrome, appears to have an
autosomal dominant inheritance pattern in
certain afflicted families. According to
autosomal dominant inheritance, one copy of a
mutated gene in each cell is enough to induce
the illness. However, no genetic alterations
related to restless legs syndrome are found in
these families. Is sleep apnea genetic? Sleep
apnea is a condition where you have episodes of
stopped breathing during your sleep. Central and
obstructive sleep apnea are mainly two types of
sleep apnea. The obstructive sleep apnea
inheritance pattern is unknown. Overall, first-
degree relatives (such as siblings or children of
afflicted persons have a 50 higher chance of
having this ailment than the general
public. According to research, obstructive sleep
apnea is around 40 heritable. The more
relatives you have who have obstructive sleep
apnea, the more likely you will get the
disorder. Scientists have yet to identify the
particular genes that cause obstructive sleep
apnea. Except for cardiac problems, which may
have a genetic basis, central sleep apnea has a
more than minimal inheritance pattern.
Is circadian rhythm disorder genetic?
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The light transmission from the retina to the
hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus regulates
the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm was
one of the first sleep qualities discovered in
human and animal models that were controlled by
genetic factors. Changes in the circadian
sleep-wake cycle duration have a link to gene
mutations. Clock genes play a central role in
generating and regulating human circadian
rhythms. It has been hypothesized that this
genetic system could be involved in the
well-known biorhythm dysfunctions of mood
disorders and that genetic variants in these
genes could be associated with circadian and
seasonal mood changes and associated
symptoms. Is familial advanced sleep-phase
disease genetic? Familial advanced sleep phase
syndrome is an autosomal dominant illness.
Researchers have found a mutation in one of the
human genes. People with a Familial accelerated
sleep phase have an increased desire to sleep
occurrence and wakefulness sooner than they would
want. Another familial disorder, a delayed sleep
phase disorder, is a kind of insomnia in which a
persons sleep is prolonged by a few hours or
more beyond what would be considered an
appropriate sleep time. In a recent study,
researchers indicated how a mutated gene could
alter the rhythm of a persons biological
clock. Are genetic sleep issues harmful? Yes,
based on the severity, genetic sleep disorders
can be harmful. However, many studies show that
genetic disorders usually require other
environmental, physiological, or psychological
triggers to get them into action. Can it lead
to other problems? Sleep disorders, whether they
are genetic or not, are always interlinked with
other health issues. Such as insomnia might cause
heart disease, high blood
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• pressure, diabetes, and several other health
  problems. Sleep disorders can also affect
  memory, emotions, cognitive activities, and
  concentration.
• How to diagnose sleep disorders?
• Whether your sleep disorder is recent or
  developed due to gene mutations, there are
  specific ways that you can diagnose it.
• Some of the symptoms can help you self-diagnose
  sleep disorders, such as
• Failure to sleep for a long time
• Frequent midnight sleep disturbances
• Snoring, gagging, or stopping breathing during
  sleep
• Mood swings or difficulty controlling emotions
• Tiredness, fatigue, headaches,
• Slower reflexes and inability to recall memories
• Impaired performance quality at work or school
• Excessive napping sessions during the day
• Also, you can refer to specialists who may also
  advise you to keep a sleep diary and do a home
  inspection to understand more about your
  problems. The data collected during the sleep
  research includes visual stimuli, brain wave
  alterations, respiratory rate, blood pressure,
  pulse rate, and other limb movements.
• The test that is done to determine sleep
  disorders are

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Titration Study A CPAP Titration study
determines your appropriate air pressure setting
while sleeping by assessing continuous positive
airway pressure equipment. What are the
solutions? Are genetically influenced sleep
disorders untreatable? The answer is yes.
According to behavioral genetics research, just
because our genes impact something does not
indicate that altering the environment cannot be
the solution. Medication, therapy, changes in
temperature, modifying sleep patterns, and other
treatments are helpful in addressing sleep
problems. How to improve sleep quality? If you
are already diagnosed with a sleep disorder. In
that case, doctors might suggest medicines such
as sleeping pills, melatonin tablets, and
therapies to cure core illnesses that trigger
sleep issues. However, according to an old
saying that precaution is better than cure,
its always better to start working to improve
your sleep quality rather than waiting for your
genes to trigger sleep issues and you become an
unfortunate victim of sleep disorders. So here
are some tips to improve sleep quality by
changing your lifestyle and surroundings.
Tips for Better Sleep
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Maintain sleep-wake schedule Create a sleep-wake
regime for yourself and follow it even on
weekends and holidays. Avoid breaking it for
better sleep quality. Take help from external
things like an alarm clock, pre-bed routine, and
exercises to establish a sleep schedule.
Generally, if you follow any rules for 21 days,
it becomes a habit and regular follow-up for 90
days makes it a lifestyle. Take advantage of it
and make changes. Control naps Avoid resting
throughout the day to avoid staying up all night,
especially after dinner. However, if you must
nap for whatever reason, limit yourself to up to
two or three naps before evening. According to
research, the ideal nap time is between 20 to 30
minutes. Limit blue light exposure
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All electronic gadgets emit blue light
radiations, which are harmful to the retina.
Also, our circadian rhythm gets confused due to
over exposure to blue light and reduces the
production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing
hormone. Therefore, ensure to avoid the usage of
any gadgets like mobile, laptops, and television
before 1 to 2 hours of bedtime to be able to
sleep quickly and peacefully. Eat more
nutritious food Eat nutritional food such as
dairy products, poultry, nuts, and fruits that
have melatonin, magnesium, serotonin, calcium,
iron, and other nutrients that are responsible
for improving sleep quality. A glass of warm
milk, almonds, cherry, and fatty fish are the
best examples of nutritional foods full of
sleep-inducing nutrition. Follow good eating
habits Eating habits also matter along with
eating nutritional food. Ensure to eat food in
proper portions and avoid consumption of heavy
meals post- evening. Heavy meals post-evening
often causes acid refluxes and disrupted
metabolism due to insufficient time for
digestion. It results in sleep disruptions,
stomach aches, and other health issues. Avoid
caffeinated products According to research,
caffeine stimulates the brain and remains in our
blood for more than 6 to 9 hours. To avoid sleep
issues or to stay up late at night, stop
consuming caffeinated products post-afternoon.
Also, it causes acidic refluxes and stomach
burns if consumed too much, which apparently
results in sleepless nights. Avoid alcohol and
drugs Alcohol and drugs are more harmful than
caffeine as not only do they cause brain
stimulation, but they also cause health issues
like heart diseases, kidney problems, anxiety,
and psychological issues. Avoid drinking alcohol
or drugs as much as possible and stop the
addiction by visiting rehabs and specialists.
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Follow pre-bed routine A pre-bedtime regimen is
just as effective as a sleep-wake schedule. Our
brain follows its own rhythm based on various
factors such as daylight, physical tiredness,
and your activities. A pre-bedtime ritual tells
your brain to prepare your body for sleep.
Listening to music, reading a book, meditating,
or relaxing before bedtime help you sleep better
than anything else. Do regular
exercise Exercise is necessary for a healthy
lifestyle, fitness, and sound sleep. Exercising
daily for 30 minutes to an hour stimulates blood
circulation and boosts metabolism. It exhausts
your body, leading it to transmit instructions
to your brain in order for it to generate
sleep-inducing hormones and sleep better in
order to replenish energy. Meditation, Yoga,
Running, Walking, or Aerobics are all beneficial
exercises you can try to improve your sleep
quality. Set up a sleeping environment It is
critical to create a sleep-worthy environment in
your bedroom for more significant outcomes. Make
sure your bedroom is solely used for sleeping
and not for work, study, or other gadgets.
Maintain the temperature around 16 to 18 degrees
by using a fan, air conditioning, or letting the
windows open. To help you sleep faster, turn out
all lights, muffle all sounds, and create a
relaxing environment. Use a proper bed and
mattress Your bed is the crucial reason to make
your sleep better or worse. Therefore, use an
adequate bedding system that includes a bed
frame, mattress, pillows, comforters, etc. You
can use adjustable bed frames, which come with
zero gravity mode and anti-snoring mode, that can
help you prevent sleep apnea symptoms. Buy the
best mattress online that is suitable for your
needs, such as an orthopedic mattress for back
pain or a soft luxury mattress to reduce
pressure from joints if you are a side sleeper.
A comforter should prevent you from the cold
outside, keep you warm and
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cozy despite any season, and get a pillow that
will support your neck and head. Final
thoughts So far, researchers have derived that
some sleep disorders have genetic bases and
might find advanced solutions and more answers in
the future. But so far, genetic or not, sleep
disorders are treatable with timely diagnosis,
medication, and life adjustments.