Experts from Oxford University, the Netherlands, and the US reviewed 36 studies on sleep duration and quality, one of which included a study of 400 sets of adult twins to observe if such sleep trends were caused by genetic factors.

Findings published in the Sleep Medicine Reviews journal concluded with a recent study that discovered genes contribute in your circadian rhythm, and decide whether an individual is an “early bird” or a “night owl”. They discovered that 46% of the variability of our sleep duration can be blamed by our DNA, and that 44% of the difference in the quality of sleep was also determined by our genetics. The other contributors are dependent on our lifestyle/routine habits and environmental factors (including stress and light pollution).

–> light pollution isn’t an external visual change in the environment, like all the other types of pollutions, but it basically can be thought of the gradual increase in lights turned during the night. So, places that are much brighter (from artificial light) is heavy in light pollution, while more dim places are less polluted by light.

However, Professor Alice Gregory states that although this genetic factor cannot be fully compensated with a different solution, other changes in our lifestyle may help this situation, such as practicing a consistent sleep routine, staying away from caffeine and exposing oneself to (natural) light during the day.

Works Cited: “Can’t Drag Yourself out of Bed? Your DNA’s to Blame, Say Scientists.” T-Gate, 31 Jan. 2021, http://www.tech-gate.org/usa/2021/01/31/cant-drag-yourself-out-of-bed-your-dnas-to-blame-say-scientists/. Accessed 31 Jan. 2021.

Honestly as a sleep-deprived high school student myself, I realized that I really should try to stop relying on caffeinated foods such as dark chocolate, teas and maintain a consistent work schedule so I don’t end up staying up very late to finish a minimal load of homework and be time efficient!

– Joanna Kim, Jan. 31, 2020, 5:43 PM KST