The Genetics of Sleep Duration

A late-breaking abstract (LBA 2) that will be presented later this morning as an oral presentation identified new genes associated with variations in sleep duration. The genome-wide association study involved 2,200 people in Finland; they were characterized for sleep length per night and evaluated for depressive symptoms and variation in mood.

The researchers found several new genes and variants that showed statistically significant association with total sleep length. Analysis also showed that sleep length and seasonal changes in mood share common molecular genes and pathways. This suggests that sleep disturbances and mood disorders may share common genetic components.

You can read the abstract in the final program.

The Genetics of Insomnia: Stress & Intrusive Thoughts

A study (# 0781) being presented this afternoon as an oral presentation examines the underlying genetics of insomnia. Results of the twin study show that sleep reactivity to stress may mediate the genetic relation between insomnia and intrusive thinking/ruminative thoughts. The study also found an environmental variance in intrusive thinking that predicts insomnia; this suggests that behavioral treatments could be designed to target specific environmental triggers that promote rumination.

A clinical workshop relevant to this study will take place today from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Pacific Time. “Arousal-reducing and Cognitive Techniques in the Treatment of Insomnia” will include discussions on progressive relaxation techniques for insomnia and constructive worry treatment strategies for intrusive thinking.

You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.

The Genetics of Insomnia in Children & Teens

A study (#0808) being presented later this morning as a poster examined the genetic heritability of insomnia in a sample of twins. Results show a moderate heritability in children between 8 and 16 years of age, with significant genetic effects shared between insomnia, depression and anxiety. This suggests that overlapping genetic mechanisms may underlie these three disorders and may help explain why insomnia is so common in people who have depression and anxiety.

You can download the SLEEP 2009 abstract supplement as an 11 MB file in PDF format.