A Search For Insomnia Genes Involving 1.3 Million People is the Largest Genetic Study Ever (technologyreview.com) 37
In a genetic study of unprecedented size, scientists have searched for inherited causes of insomnia in the DNA 1,310,010 people. From a report: They found 956 different genes linked to the sleep disorder, drawing closer to an explanation of what causes it and, perhaps, to new ways to treat it. The study appears to be the first gene search to involve DNA collected from more than one million people. "It's amazingly massive," says Stuart Ritchie, a psychologist involved with genetics research at the University of Edinburgh. On Twitter, scientists let loose with superlatives: "Holy cr*p," "mammoth," and "Wow!" The project involved crunching genetic and medical information collected from the UK Biobank and the consumer DNA testing company 23andMe. It was led by Danielle Posthuma, a neuroscientist specializing in statistical genetics at Vrije University, in Amsterdam.
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They ask for consent individually for each study.
Re:Disorder? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, it is *absolutely* a disorder.
It is horrible. Fucking horrible. People who have never been afflicted have no concept of how shitty you feel all the time, and the overwhelming frustration of laying in bed, completely exhausted, and uncompromisingly wide awake.
The strong medications are either tolerance-building, or cause problematic symptoms like sleep-walking, or both. And of course the weak medications are weak.
And you are surrounded by people who know nothing about fucking anything giving you stupid and thoughtless advice as if they have just cured you.
Re: Disorder? (Score:2)
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In my experience, weed reduces the frequency of it but once an episode begins all I get for smoking myself into a stupor is redundancy -- I'm already stupefied by the absence of sleep.
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Don't tell me, let me guess: You're a budtender.
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I've Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder which I don't suffer because I'm self employed, but I get whacked by wicked insomnia every now and then that makes life pure shit. A week of sleeping zero to two of every 24 hours knocks me out of work, and at two weeks I can't follow idle chit-chat any more and have switched off the telephone ringers. At a month in, it's just a complete bummer and death seems an acceptable, though not preferable, resolution. (I'm not suicidal; don't need a hotline.)
On the up side, being se
Chosen because you can call at any time (Score:2)
Makes sense - if you're doing a study, you should pick a group of people you can ask questions of at any time.
This article makes me tired. (Score:2)
Evolution in action (Score:2)
Younger people sleep well at night, because they need to be alert during the day for hunting mammoths and stuff.
Older people sleep lightly or hardly at night, so to be able to hear predators, enemies and sick young ones. Since they don't participate in hunts anymore, they can do naps during the day.
Physical exertion (Score:2)
Seriously, if you can't sleep, maybe that's because you are not tired. Of course if you do a one off work out, sore muscles will keep you awake. But else, do what nature intended and take a sufficiently challenging hike to be TIRED. You'll sleep like you probably don't remember. Seeing that people sit on their butts these days, I am not surprised they can't sleep at night.