Genes that control natural sleep need
Probing genetics and biology of human sleep homeostasis
This project looks for gene changes that let some people sleep only 4–6 hours and still feel rested.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144572 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or family members naturally sleep 4–6 hours and feel well rested, you could be asked to provide sleep information and DNA so researchers can find genetic causes of Familial Natural Short Sleep (FNSS). The team collects family histories, sleep measurements (sometimes including EEG), and blood or saliva for sequencing, and they compare human findings to mouse and fruit fly models to test gene effects. They have identified several genes already (DEC2, ADRB1, NPSR1, GRM1) but many families remain unexplained, so they plan to enroll more probands and perform whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing. Some parts of participation may happen remotely, while other tests might require visits to the UCSF site.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with lifelong short sleep (about 4–6 hours) who feel rested, especially when multiple affected family members are available for testing.
Not a fit: People with short sleep due to medical conditions, shift work, poor sleep hygiene, or without a family history of short sleep are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Finding new genes could explain why some people need less sleep and point to targets to improve sleep or treat sleep disorders.
How similar studies have performed: This group previously discovered several FNSS genes with supporting animal models, showing the approach can work but more genes remain to be found.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ptacek, Louis J. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Ptacek, Louis J.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.