Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 7, 2008 1:29:22 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Genetic Test Reveals Your Body Clock

Posted Jun 7, 08 7:55 AM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – A simple mouth swab can tell scientists who's naturally meant to get up early and could forever free people who like a morning snooze from accusations of laziness, the Daily Telegraph reports. The newly developed test reveals the activity of the genes that regulate a person's body clock and identifies their natural sleeping and waking patterns.

Researchers say testing to tell if somebody is an early-rising "lark" or late-sleeping "owl" —or somewhere in between—could help prevent accidents caused by sleepy shift workers. Gaining information about a person's circadian rhythms could also help combat sleep disorders and make treatments such as chemotherapy, shown to work better at certain times of day, more effective.

Source Daily Telegraph (UK)

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Erratic Sleepers Have More Health Problems: Study

    May 7, 08 4:54 PM CDT
    Erratic Sleepers Have More Health Problems: Study Irregular sleep habits increase the likelihood of obesity and smoking, the AP reports. The CDC surveyed 87,000 Americans over 2 years and found that individuals who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night or more than 9 were 5% to 10% more likely to smoke and 4% to 11% more likely to be obese than those who slept 6 to 9 hours. More »

  • Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity

    Apr 8, 08 7:56 AM CDT
    Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity Babies who get less than 12 hours of shut-eye a day double their risk of being overweight by the time they're 3 years old, a new study finds. The risk is even higher for little ones who watch two hours of TV a day, the Daily Telegraph reports. If habits aren't changed, more than 25% of all children are expected to be obese by 2050, experts warn. More »

  • Separate Beds: the Key to Happy Marriage?

    Mar 24, 08 7:50 PM CDT
    Separate Beds: the Key to Happy Marriage? Looking for lengthy love? It may be time to sleep single. More couples are opting for separate beds, and 60% of custom-built homes in the UK will have dual master bedrooms by 2015, the London Times reports. Many in modern times consider separate beds the end of love, but in fact sleep disturbance is what creates friction, researchers say. More »

  • From Night Owl to Early Bird?

    Mar 4, 08 12:05 PM CST
    From Night Owl to Early Bird? For those wide-eyed deep into the night, rising and shining with the early birds might seem like an elusive dream that comes to a jarring end each morning. But for this 5% to 30% of the population, understanding circadian rhythms can benefit their tired eyes more than chugging coffee. The Wall Street Journal's health columnist looks at ways to catch some Zs. More »

  • Snorer Slept 14 Minutes A Night

    Feb 8, 08 11:38 AM CST
    Snorer Slept 14 Minutes A Night After 17 years of getting only minutes of sleep per night, a British man is finally getting some quality sack time. Doctors say it's one of the worst cases of sleep apnea on record, the Guardian reports. The man thought he slept 12 hours a night and couldn't figure out why he was constantly exhausted. Turns out, that 12 hours was closer to 15 minutes. More »

Genes associated with sleep and wakefulness occur in different amounts at different times of day between individuals.   (Shutter Stock)
Scientists at Britain's Swansea University have developed a simple mouth swab that can let them discover a person's natural circadian rhythms.   ((c) Gullig)
A limousine driver takes an afternoon snooze as he waits outside a Tokyo building. Scientists say genetic testing for sleep rhythms can help avoid the dangers posed by sleepy shift workers.   (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Tags

sleep  • genetic testing  • sleep disorder  • internal clock  • circadian rhythms


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »