This Explains Why YOU Never Need 8 Hours of Sleep

And Why Everyone Who Told You Otherwise Have Been Completely Wrong.

Natural Short Sleepers: A Genetic Mutation Could Be the Reason You Thrive on Less Sleep

You may have been told that getting 8 hours of sleep is non-negotiable for your health. But that advice does not apply to everyone. Some people function optimally on just 4 to 6 hours of sleep without suffering any signs of sleep deprivation. If that sounds like you, it might be because of a rare genetic mutation that resets how much rest your body truly needs.

How Your Body Works During Sleep

Although you lie still during sleep, your body becomes a repair center, working to fix damaged cells, balance hormones, and process neural information. When you lose sleep regularly, these essential functions begin to falter. That can impair how you think, move, and feel, and over time, increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and depression. That is why most medical guidelines recommend you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

The Science Behind Natural Short Sleepers

But not everyone fits this mold. Natural short sleepers do well on just 4 to 6 hours of sleep. In fact, sleeping longer can make them feel sluggish. Researchers have already identified mutations in four genes—DEC2, ADRB1, NPSR1, and GRM1—that are associated with this unique sleep pattern. Now, new findings add another gene to that list: salt-induced kinase 3, or SIK3.

What This New Study Found

A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined a mutation in SIK3, specifically the variant called SIK3-N783Y. This gene is known to help regulate how long and how deeply you sleep. In the study, researchers looked at a 70-year-old healthy woman with a lifelong habit of sleeping very little while maintaining an active lifestyle. She claimed she slept just 3 hours each night, but wrist actigraphy recordings revealed she actually slept about 6.3 hours.

Researchers sequenced her DNA and discovered a point mutation, N783Y, in the SIK3 protein. To validate their findings, they engineered the same mutation in mice. Those mice slept 30 minutes less than normal, and computational analysis showed that the mutation distorted the structure of SIK3, weakening its ability to regulate sleep duration.

What This Means for You

Understanding the genes that control your sleep could lead to new therapies for sleep disorders or sleep quality improvement. According to the study, “Brains of Sik3 N783Y/N783Y mutant (Mut) mice exhibited extensive hypophosphorylation.” This suggests that when the gene malfunctions, it changes how the body manages protein function during sleep, which could be a major clue for future treatments.

Your Call to Action for Natural Short Sleepers

If you regularly wake up refreshed after just a few hours of sleep, you might not be experiencing insomnia or poor sleep hygiene. Instead, you could be genetically wired to need less sleep. However, before assuming this applies to you, track your energy levels, cognitive performance, and overall health. If you consistently thrive on short sleep, consider consulting a sleep specialist who can help determine if your pattern aligns with a natural short sleep profile. With further research into genetic variants like SIK3-N783Y, personalized sleep medicine may soon help you get the rest you truly need—no more, no less.

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Study Links:

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500356122

https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/48/2/zsae279/7916361?login=false