Using a day-active rodent to learn how some people naturally sleep only 4–5 hours
Developing and characterizing sleep-based network homeostasis in a diurnal rodent model for Familial Natural Short Sleep
This project makes a day-active rodent with human short-sleep gene changes to learn how some people can sleep 4–5 hours each night without harm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291336 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use CRISPR to introduce human Familial Natural Short Sleep (FNSS) gene changes into a diurnal grass rat that is active during the day like humans. They will measure behavior and brain electrical activity to compare sleep amount and neural network stability between gene-edited and unedited animals. Because grass rats share human-like day-night activity patterns, the team expects this model to show sleep and circadian effects closer to people than standard nocturnal mice. Results will help explain how specific gene changes reduce sleep need while preserving brain health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Familial Natural Short Sleep or those who naturally sleep 4–5 hours without daytime problems are the population this research aims to better understand and may benefit from in the future.
Not a fit: People with insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or other harmful short-sleep conditions are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic animal research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify biological mechanisms that let some people function well on very short sleep and guide future treatments or diagnostics for sleep disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Prior FNSS gene edits in nocturnal mice produced only small or no sleep reductions, so using a diurnal grass rat is a novel approach to better mirror human FNSS.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Watson, Brendon O — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Watson, Brendon O
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.