The UCSF scientists who identified the two known human genes that promote "natural short sleep"—nightly sleep that lasts just four to six hours but leaves people feeling well-rested—have now discovered a third, and it's also the first gene that's ever been shown to prevent the memory deficits that normally accompany sleep deprivation. The researchers believe this latest discovery may one day lead to a druggable target for therapies that improve sleep and treat sleep disorders.

The findings, detailed in a study published October 16, 2019 in Science Translational Medicine, were announced just weeks after the same team reported their discovery of the second short sleep gene, an achievement that was a decade in the making.

"Ten years ago, when we identified the first short sleep gene, the field of sleep genetics was in its infancy. People didn't think that genes could significantly influence sleep behaviors, and big breakthroughs were rare. Today the field is advancing much more rapidly, and we're beginning to get a better picture of how important your genes are to getting a good night's sleep," said Ying-Hui Fu, Ph.D., a professor of neurology and member of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences who has led the research teams that identified all three known short sleep genes.

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ALSO SEE: After 10-year search, scientists find second 'short sleep' gene

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