Could Your DNA Make Bad Sleep More Harmful?

Sleep It Off: We know that consistently poor sleep isn’t great for the brain. Good sleep is critical for waste removal, learning, memory, and other processes. But it may not affect everyone the same. New research suggests that genetics may influence just how much your brain feels the effects of poor-quality sleep.

The Study: Researchers at Edith Cowan University analyzed data from 351 cognitively healthy people from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle study who already showed evidence of amyloid buildup, a hallmark associated with Alzheimer’s disease. They focused on variations in the AQP4 gene, which helps regulate fluid movement through the brain and is involved in the brain’s waste-clearing system. The researchers found that certain AQP4 variants were associated with differences in brain volume and cognitive function, and that sleep appeared to modify those relationships. For people carrying some variants, shorter sleep was linked to faster gray-matter loss. 

Takeaway: Good sleep is protective; potentially even more so for those with certain variations of APQ4.

Keep in Mind: The researchers noted, “The same variant can look protective or detrimental depending on how someone is sleeping.” So just because you have a certain genetic variant doesn’t mean you’re going to get Alzheimer’s, but it may mean prioritizing sleep is even more important.