Insomnia is a mental condition that affects the sleep of around 30% to 35% of the general population in the world. But the real question is this: is insomnia genetic? As so many people all over the world suffer from it, it is a real question that should be asked more often because insomnia is linked with much harder and evolving symptoms that are way more dangerous than what we usually link insomnia to. To answer questions such as whether “Is insomnia is hereditary?”, we are going to discuss almost everything related to it for a clearer picture.
Defining Insomnia
As mentioned before, insomnia is a type of mental condition that affects the sleep patterns of the affected individuals. Insomnia is not about you getting no sleep at all (although it is an extreme version of it) as it is more about how you are not getting proper sleep as you previously used to. The type of insomnia you are going through can be differentiated through the time period it persists and how it is caused. Short-term insomnia is acute and long-term insomnia persists for a long time. If it is the main condition you are suffering from, then it is labeled as primary insomnia and if it is a symptom of some other but major mental condition such as PTSD, Psychosis, or ADHD, then it is called secondary insomnia.
Read More: Is insomnia a mental illness? Know the top facts!
Now Let’s Go Back To The Topic: Is Insomnia Genetic?
Yes, it has been proven by considerable evidence (via empirical studies) that indeed insomnia is genetic. Some people are more likely to go through insomnia if they are genetically predisposed to go through it and some will obviously not if their genes don’t allow it (Gehrman et al., 2013).
Very much like they do in schizophrenia or bipolar, genes also affect your sleep pattern, so it only makes sense if you are going to feel insomnia or not via genetic predisposition. Genes also influence how your chronotype is affected, which type you essentially are going to have (Jones et al., 2019). A chronotype essentially refers to the natural preferences of the body for sleeping and waking hours. There are four different types of chronotypes, which relate to animal instincts. Someone who wakes up early and tries to tie up work before sunset and who also happens to be diligent and productive in the morning has a Lion chronotype. People with the Bear chronotype tend to be extremely social, arise around sunset, and go to sleep around sunset. The Dolphin chronotype is all about fragmented and sensitive sleep patterns just like a real dolphin. Wolves tend to be late sleepers and creative thinkers. As mentioned before, which one you are also depends on the genetic markers and hereditary, so if you are on the dolphin or wolf side, there are more chances of insomnia, especially when relating to the dolphin side, therefore answering the following questions in the process: “Is insomnia genetic?”, or “Can you inherit insomnia?”. If you are an early riser or a night owl, that too depends on genetics.
Read More: Schizophrenia and Insomnia: Understanding the Link and Coping Strategies
But How Can Insomnia Be Passed Down Actually? Like What Is The Process?
Basically, this is essentially asking if insomnia is genetic and how it becomes genetic. What are the processes that are involved? Let’s start with the differences between genes and gene expression.
Genes are located in the chromosomes, which are themselves located in the nucleus of our cells. There are around 20,000 genes in the human body. These genes are made from DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which are made of the building blocks of our cells called proteins and give your body instructions to make these proteins and dictate what those proteins should do to help you function.
Gene expression (Finegold, 2021), on the other hand, decides if a specific instruction is to be carried out or not. This can also be affected by a phenotype aka things in the environment. In terms of insomnia, genetically the arousal system is inhibited in someone who has a healthy sleep. This allows you to become relaxed and sleep calmly but in people with genetically induced insomnia, the arousal system is in overdrive, which doesn’t let the affected individual sleep properly. Does insomnia run in families this way? Yes, this is exactly the way insomnia is genetically passed down. If one has a genetic risk of insomnia, the genes of the arousal system’s inhibition may not be expressed, therefore, leaving it in overdrive to induce insomnia in affected individuals.
Read More: Insomnia Hallucinations: The Unseen Effects of Sleeplessness
Genetic Testing For Insomnia
You are probably wondering if you are indeed asking questions like, “Is insomnia genetic?”, then you probably need to get some kind of genetic testing done in order to ensure it can be prevented before it wreaks havoc. The truth is though that while this type of testing does exist to find out if someone is going to have insomnia or not, it is not commonly available for the general public. This type of testing usually occurs in the research field in relation to sleep disorders.
While you may not find an answer to a question like, “Is insomnia genetic?”. Doctors can diagnose their patients with insomnia according to a set of specific criteria outlined in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders before it leads to serious follow-up conditions such as anxiety, or depression, which insomnia can transform into.
Read More: Can Insomnia Kill You? The Ripple Effect of Insomnia
Summing Up!
If you are asking questions along the lines of, “Can insomnia be genetic?”, “Is insomnia genetic?”, “Can insomnia be hereditary?”, or “Is insomnia genetic or environmental?”, then we guess a lot of these have some clear-cut answers now. If you think you are suffering from the effects of insomnia, you can contact Solid Foundation Psychiatry. We not only treat insomnia but also other mental conditions with the help of treatment methods like psychiatric medication management, telehealth psychiatry, or psychotherapy.