One week of poor sleep can disrupt hundreds of genes linked to stress, immunity and inflammation, research has shown.

Scientists think the discovery could explain why lack of sleep can have a devastating impact on health.

For the new study, researchers examined gene activity in 26 sleep-deprived volunteers.

They found that insufficient sleep had an impact on more than 700 genes. Some had their activity dampened, while others became extra-active.

Those affected included genes associated with the "body clock" cycle, metabolism, and immune and stress responses.

Poor sleep also altered chromatin - the DNA and protein "packaging" that plays an important role in gene regulation.

The researchers believe their findings may be particularly relevant to people working long hours in industrialised societies.

The scientists, led by University of Surrey sleep expert Professor Derk-Jan Dijk, analysed RNA - the messenger chemical that delivers coded "instructions" from the genes to cells - in the blood of volunteers.

Participants were exposed to a week of poor sleep during which they slept no more than six hours a night. At the end of this time, they had to stay awake for around 40 hours while samples were collected at three-hourly intervals.

The results were compared with the effect on the same volunteers of sleeping up to 10 hours a night for a week. Again, samples were taken when volunteers stayed awake for a long period at the end of the study.

Originally posted here:
Lack Of Sleep Impacts On Gene Activity

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