Is Insomnia Genetic?
Insomnia is a complicated condition with numerous causes and risk factors. Research has found that genetics may increase your likelihood of developing it.
It's challenging to link insomnia with genetics because it's such a common condition. Approximately 25% of the U.S. population experiences insomnia each year.
Still, various studies have explored this link and found that the heritability of insomnia ranges from 22% to 59% in adults. The average figure is 39%.
Heritability measures how much the differences in people's genes account for differences in various traits. The higher the heritability, the more likely the variation in the population comes down to genetics.
This article examines the possible link between insomnia and genetics, along with other risk factors and causes of insomnia.
Which genes are associated with insomnia?
Sleep is complex, so finding specific genes with links to insomnia is tricky. Even so, some scientists have attempted to find answers.
A 2019 study —one of the biggest to focus on the topic so far — showed that 57 gene regions have links to symptoms of insomnia.
Interestingly, these areas weren't involved in sleep regulation but linked with a process called ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, which destroys specific proteins.
However, some genes of interest that experts identified in other research related to neuronal excitability in the body implied that overactivating areas promoting awakening might contribute to or even cause insomnia.
Can environmental factors affect your genes?
Having genes linked to insomnia doesn't mean you will get the condition.
Environmental factors can also affect which genes your body expresses —this is known as epigenetics.
For example, stress, diet, temperature, and even the social life you lead may affect the way specific genes function, and therefore, affect your sleep.
What else can cause insomnia?
Of course, genetics and environmental factors aren't the only causes of insomnia.
You can think of specific genes as factors that might make you more likely to get insomnia.
Your sex assigned at birth may also fall into this category —people assigned female at birth can be more likely to have insomnia than people assigned male at birth.
But other things can trigger insomnia and maintain it. For example, the following health conditions are also linked to insomnia:
restless legs syndrome
anxiety
cardiovascular disease
Emotional and physical stress can also make it difficult to sleep.
Your sleeping environment and pre-sleep habits, such as the temperature or noise levels in your bedroom, meal schedules, and caffeine or drug intake, could also be behind your insomnia.
Is it possible to reduce your risk of insomnia?
If you are genetically predisposed to insomnia, you may need to be more aware of good sleep hygiene.
Adopting a stable routine that involves going to sleep and waking up at roughly the same time each day may help.
And when it's time for bed, try to relax beforehand by dimming the lights and turning off devices.
You can also avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco —particularly in the latter part of the day.
Finally, embarking on a healthy lifestyle that involves adequate physical exercise and stress reduction techniques may help.
Even if you do all of the above and more, it still may not be possible to prevent insomnia.
How is insomnia treated?
Practicing good sleep hygiene is a treatment method for insomnia and a prevention technique.
You can try:
turning your bedroom into a calming space by optimizing the lighting and temperature and turning off electronic devices
going to sleep and waking up at the same time, even on weekends or if you've had a bad night's sleep
avoiding stimulants, like caffeine, before bedtime
exercising during the daytime to tire both your body and mind
Some people may need medication to help them sleep. But sleeping pills can become less effective the more people take them, and they have a whole host of potential side effects.
Speak with a doctor or another healthcare professional before buying over-the-counter sleeping aids.
A special form of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is also an option and has been effective in multiple studies.
While there is currently a limited number of practitioners offering CBT-I, it can help you swap unhelpful thoughts and actions that affect your sleep for more helpful ones that promote a restful night.
Is insomnia curable?
It can take time and may involve many approaches. But insomnia is curable in some cases.
In other, more complex cases, you can try to improve it by treating underlying conditions and making certain lifestyle changes.
The longer it goes on, the harder it is to treat. So, if you're having trouble sleeping, it's always best to contact a doctor as soon as possible.
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