WASHINGTON (TND) — Short sleeper syndrome (SSS) is when a person needs under six hours of sleep to feel rested and function well.
Scientists have found people with this condition have a rare gene that enables them to thrive with less sleep.
"They can get four hours to six hours and they feel like I'm ready for the day. No need for coffee. Let's get going.," explained Temitope O. Fowora, CRNP, with the University of Maryland Medical System.
She specializes in pulmonary care and sleep medicine. Fowora said SSS typically runs in someone's family.
"We diagnose them with short sleeper syndrome, basically, but you obtain that from getting a detailed medical history, family history, and sleep history," she said.
Fowora said sleep is complex and more research needs to be done to understand SSS. She says the scientific community can learn a lot from short sleepers.
It will be great to learn from them. Maybe there is a way their brain functions that we can use in the future to help people who suffer from narcolepsy.She added some people try to become short sleepers. She advises against that.
The brain is not doing what it's supposed to do, and your heart is not resting enough. So years from now, that could lead to complications of elevated blood pressure or memory issues.On average, people need 7-8 hours of sleep so the brain can heal and file away memories.
Interestingly enough, there are also long sleepers who often sleep 10-12 hours per day. Experts think there could be a genetic factor, but more research needs to be done.
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