I’ve never needed much sleep to feel refreshed. While most of my friends groan without their full 8 hours and reach for coffee before conversations, I’ve always felt perfectly fine—sometimes even better—after just four or five hours of shut-eye.

For years, I had thought that I was merely the "odd one out," a person with an offbeat sleeping pattern always harming my body maybe but now it appears, there could be a genetic explanation for why individuals like myself are programmed this way. Scientists found a rare gene mutation in a gene known as SIK3 that enables some of us to function just fine on less sleep. No drowsiness. No foggy brain. No side effects.

If you’ve ever wondered why some people seem superhuman on minimal sleep, or secretly hoped there was a way to train your body to do the same, this discovery might just hold the answers. Let’s explore what makes natural short sleepers tick—and whether this sleep “superpower” is something the rest of us can unlock too.

For years, sleep specialists have repeated the same mantra: adults require a minimum of 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night to maintain mental acuity, immune function, and cardiovascular health. Long-term sleep deprivation has long been associated with higher risks of obesity, Alzheimer's disease, high blood pressure, and even premature death. But what if some people are genetically predisposed to perform best on only four hours of sleep?

Recent scientific studies have put this astounding phenomenon under the limelight with a stunning finding: an exceptional gene mutation, SIK3-N783Y, that makes some individuals what scientists have coined as natural short sleepers.

Who Are These Super Sleepers?

A natural short sleeper (NSS) is one who sleeps four to six hours every night but wakes up feeling refreshed and ready to go—without the help of coffee or the typical symptoms of sleep deprivation. They are not sleep-deprived; their bodies simply need less sleep than others.

This fascinating sleep pattern has puzzled scientists for decades, but thanks to a recent study by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the enigma is starting to lift. Their results, which were published in a peer-reviewed journal, indicate a rare gene mutation in the salt-induced kinase 3 (SIK3) gene.

Can You Really Survive—and Thrive on Just 4 Hours of Sleep?

The scientists discovered that the N783Y mutation in the SIK3 gene alters the SIK3 protein structure. This alteration affects the protein's function to transfer phosphate molecules, an essential component of the chemical signaling that governs our internal sleep-wake cycles.

In order to better analyze this effect, researchers created genetically modified mice that had the same mutation. Such mice slept around 30 minutes less per night than regular mice, and even less when deprived of sleep. Surprisingly, these differences weren't associated with the amount of proteins in the brain—but rather, with the way the proteins worked.

Furthermore, mutant mice had higher delta wave activity on EEG readings—a sign of deep, restorative sleep. This reinforces the theory that the mutation doesn't merely cut short sleep, it makes it more effective.

This is not the first time that scientists have associated genetics with sleep duration. Several years back, one mother and daughter who claimed to require just six hours of sleep at night without ever getting tired were discovered to carry a mutation in a gene linked with the circadian clock, our internal sleep- timing mechanism.

So far, scientists have discovered at least five mutations in four genes that affect sleep duration. But the newly found SIK3 mutation is particularly intriguing because it directly affects biochemical pathways that can now be targeted in the future development of drugs.

How Does this Gene Affect Sleep Medicine?

The applications of this research are vast. By knowing what enables natural short sleepers to feel rested on less time, researchers can start working on the development of treatments to improve sleep quality—not by lengthening time, but by increasing the efficacy of the hours we do spend sleeping.

"This discovery deepens our knowledge of the genetic basis of sleep," researchers said, highlighting the mutation's promise in leading to precision sleep medicine—focused treatments that modify sleep regulation systems at the molecular level.

Natural Short Sleep vs. Sleep Deprivation

Natural short sleep is a genetically controlled, rare condition in which people perform best with only 4–6 hours of sleep. In contrast to sleep-deprived individuals, they rise feeling rested, with no hint of exhaustion or mental slowness. This is not about "toughing it out" on fewer z's—it's simply the way their bodies are biologically programmed to require less. Sleep deprivation has an impact on mood, memory, immunity, and cardiovascular health. Long-term sleep deprivation has been known to increase disease risks like Alzheimer's or cardiovascular disease. Thus, when natural short sleepers are prospering, the rest of us should not try to replicate their sleep.

Why Most People Still Need 7 to 9 Hours of Sleep?

Most people still require 7 to 9 hours of sleep because it maintains critical functions such as memory consolidation, emotion regulation, immune function, and cell repair. Sleep removes toxins from the brain and re-sets the body's biological clocks for the day ahead. Sleeping less than required on a regular basis can hamper concentration, decision-making, and metabolism and result in long-term dangers including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. Although a small group of people have a genetic mutation that enables them to survive on less sleep, the rest of us are not so hardwired and require sufficient sleep to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health.

Why You Shouldn't Deprive Yourself of Sleep?

Before you begin reducing your sleep time, it's important to observe, natural short sleep is different from sleep deprivation. The majority of us cannot just train ourselves to be short sleepers. For most people, trying to sleep just four hours a night results in cognitive impairments, memory loss, compromised immunity, and long-term health problems.

Rather than copying the sleep habits of the genetically fortunate few, experts advise taking efforts at sleep hygiene:

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends.
• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals in the evening.
• Make the sleeping environment cool, dark, and quiet.
• Limit screen use before bedtime.
• Deal with stress through meditation or journaling.

While the discovery of the SIK3-N783Y mutation may not mean much for your sleep schedule today, it opens exciting doors for future treatments and a deeper understanding of how our bodies regulate rest. It also highlights the fascinating diversity of human biology—some people are literally wired to need less sleep, and now, we’re beginning to understand why.

So, if you wake up feeling great on only a few hours of sleep each night, science may one day validate that you're one of a select, genetically privileged few. In the meantime, shoot for that 7-9 hour mark your body and mind will appreciate it.

Like any other young boy, Evan Lallo from Kirtland, Ohio, was finding his footing in life. What were his hobbies, what kind of sports he likes etc. And it is a given that starting any sports meant hurting muscles, tiredness and random pangs of pain. However, it was not simple for Evan. Although he may not have wished for a sports injury, what he found was much worse.

Evan’s difficult journey began with something that seemed simple: a painful shoulder. As a 14-year-old athlete who loved basketball, football, and lacrosse, the pain he started feeling was initially diagnosed as a common sports injury. He went through treatment, but the pain kept getting worse, eventually becoming so severe he couldn't even hold a pencil.

This alarming change led his family to the emergency room in search of answers. An MRI revealed a shocking truth: a mass was growing on his neck. Evan was quickly sent to Cleveland Clinic Children's, where a team of specialists worked together to identify the rare tumor. They discovered it was a type of cancer called Ewing sarcoma, which was growing along his nerves and causing all the pain and loss of function in his arm.

What Is Ewing Sarcoma?

According to National Cancer Institute, Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms from certain cells in your body. It usually appears in your bones or the soft tissues around them, such as muscles, fat, and cartilage. This cancer is most common in teenagers and young adults, typically from their teens up to their mid-20s.

This cancer can develop in the bones of your arms, legs, feet, hands, chest, pelvis, spine, or skull. It can also form in the body’s soft tissues, which are the tissues that connect, support, and surround your other organs.

Following the life-changing diagnosis, Evan’s treatment began immediately and was incredibly challenging. Over the next seven months, he endured multiple rounds of grueling chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Evan’s mom, Megan, shared that they spent more than 70 nights in the hospital throughout the treatment.

What Are Symptoms of Rare Bone Cancer?

The symptoms of Ewing sarcoma can vary from person to person. They may look like a lump on the arms, legs, or chest. Some other signs to be aware of include:

• Bone pain that comes and goes, especially at night.
• Swelling around a bone that hurts when you touch it.
• A lump near the skin's surface that feels warm and soft.
• A fever that won't go away.
• A bone that breaks without an obvious injury.
• Feeling very tired and losing weight without trying, which can happen if the cancer spreads.

Does Bone Cancer Reduce Limb Functionality?

Even after the intensive chemotherapy and radiation shrank Evan’s tumor, he was still struggling with limited function in his arm because the cancer had caused nerve damage. This created a new challenge for his recovery. His team brought in a specialist, Dr. Megan Jack, a neurosurgeon who performs a rare procedure called a nerve transfer.

She explained that the surgery essentially takes a healthy nerve and reconnects it to the damaged one to restore movement. Evan’s successful surgery in May 2025 gave him a new sense of hope. Although his arm would take time to heal and require physical therapy, his doctors were already seeing signs of improvement.

A Brave New Beginning: Life After Cancer

By June 2025, Evan had reached the final milestone of his cancer journey. His scans showed no signs of cancer remaining. He celebrated this incredible victory by ringing the Bravery Bell, a moment filled with relief, pride, and gratitude.

With his cancer treatment behind him, Evan is now focused on the future. He is looking forward to going back to school full-time and, with continued healing, getting back to playing sports with his friends. Evan’s powerful message to others is simple: “Just keep going.” His journey is a true testament to his incredible resilience and the strength of his support system.

Prostate cancer deaths in the United States were on the decline, thanks to advances in screening and treatment but new data from the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that the tide is shifting — prostate cancer rates have been climbing steadily for the past decade, particularly in advanced stages of the disease. At the same time, a new national survey highlights a troubling gap in public awareness, 80% of Americans don’t know that early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms, underscoring why early detection remains such a challenge.

According to the ACS’s latest prostate cancer statistics report, diagnoses of prostate cancer have increased by about 3% per year since 2014. This rise is particularly striking given that the decade before saw a 6.4% annual decline. What is most concerning is not only that more men are being diagnosed, but that more cases are being caught at advanced stages. The report notes that advanced-stage diagnoses are climbing at an even faster rate — up to 6.2% annually, depending on the age group.

Mortality trends add another layer of concern. In the 1990s and 2000s, prostate cancer death rates declined by 3% to 4% per year. Over the past decade, however, that rate of decline has slowed dramatically to just 0.6% annually.

Why is Prostate Cancer Screening Still Debatable?

One reason for the reversal may lie in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF) guidance from the early 2010s, which advised against routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. The goal was to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment, as PSA testing can detect cancers that are slow-growing and unlikely to ever cause harm.

But the shift away from routine screening may have had unintended consequences. With fewer men undergoing PSA tests, cancers are now being discovered later and at more aggressive stages. “We actually see PSA testing this decade versus the previous decade going down, so the incidence [of prostate cancer] is going up despite less testing occurring,” experts from ACS noted. “That starts to speak to other factors that might be environmental or nutritional or other things that we don’t fully understand.”

The paradox is clear: cutting back on PSA tests may have reduced overdiagnosis, but it may also be fueling the resurgence of advanced-stage disease.

Why Are Americans in the Dark About Prostate Cancer Detection?

Compounding the problem is public misunderstanding of prostate cancer symptoms. A nationwide survey conducted by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center revealed that four out of five Americans don’t know early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms at all. Most cases are detected only through routine screening, usually via a blood test for PSA levels.

The survey also found that 59% of respondents did not know sexual dysfunction can be a warning sign. Often, it’s partners who first notice these changes and encourage men to seek medical care. Other lesser-known symptoms — such as fatigue or unexplained weight loss — were better recognized by Black adults than by white adults, but Black respondents were less likely to know that early-stage disease can be asymptomatic.

This knowledge gap matters. When men assume they’ll feel ill if something is wrong, they’re less likely to prioritize regular screenings.

The ACS report also highlights stark racial disparities. Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as men from any other racial or ethnic group. Native American men, meanwhile, have a 12% higher death rate compared to white men despite a 13% lower incidence of the disease.

The reasons for these disparities are complex, involving a mix of biology, access to care, socioeconomic factors, and structural inequities in healthcare. What remains clear is that certain populations are paying a higher price for gaps in screening and treatment access.

Most common cancer in US men, Prostate cancer accounts for about 30% of male cancer diagnoses in 2025. Second leading cause of cancer death: After lung cancer, prostate cancer kills nearly 36,000 men annually in the U.S.

Annual cases: More than 300,000 American men are expected to be diagnosed in 2025.

Age factor: The majority of cases occur in men over 50.

Why Is Prostate Cancer Screening Crucial?

While the debate over PSA testing continues, experts agree on one point: men need to have informed conversations with their doctors about screening. The ACS and other organizations recommend that men aged 45 and older talk with their healthcare providers about the benefits and risks. For those at higher risk including Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer — those discussions should begin as early as age 40.

Screening can be a double-edged sword. It may detect cancers that grow slowly and never cause harm, but it can also catch aggressive cancers before they spread. Without it, many men may not realize they’re sick until it’s too late for curative treatment.

Ohio State Cancer Center patient Daryl Wilber and his wife, Jodi, were shocked when a routine blood test revealed he had early-stage prostate cancer. He had no symptoms. For Jodi, the lesson is clear: partners play a vital role in men’s health. “Help them get over that hump from going from ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I should do it’ to, ‘OK, I’m going to go tomorrow and do it,’” she said.

Their story echoes what oncologists stress — early detection saves lives. Because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, finding it early greatly improves survival odds.

What are The Pros and Cons of Screening?

PSA testing and digital rectal exams remain the two primary tools for early detection. But both come with limitations. Elevated PSA doesn’t always mean cancer, and not all prostate cancers need immediate treatment. Some may never grow large enough to cause harm, leading to unnecessary treatments that carry risks such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

That’s why many doctors recommend “shared decision-making”, weighing the risks and benefits together with the patient. Screening is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The right approach depends on age, race, family history, and personal health values.

The ACS projects nearly 314,000 new prostate cancer cases in 2025. That number, coupled with the slowed progress in reducing mortality, signals a pressing need to rethink screening strategies and public education.

Too many men and their families still believe symptoms will be obvious. Too many assume prostate cancer is always slow-growing. And too many at-risk populations lack access to timely testing and care.

Heart diseases are one of the leading causes of death globally, yet it is not the biggest cause of concern for people. It is not just an unhealthy lifestyle that can push you to cardiovascular diseases. Sometimes when your body lacks important components, it can tip your heart health sideways.

Unexpected things like too much stress, lack of vitamin D, as well as too much vitamin B (according to some studies) can increase your risk of heart diseases. However, a surprising deficiency that can increase your risk of heart diseases is B12. However, how is a vitamin, whose role is to support nerve and brain function, responsible for your heart health?

How Does B12 Vitamin Affect Heart Health?

Another function of vitamin is forming healthy red blood vessels and DNA. While vitamin B12 is crucial for our health, but it hasn't been clear how a person's B12 levels relate to their risk of death. To understand this better, a study published in the 2024 Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of existing studies to find out if there's a link between B12 levels and the risk of dying from all causes, heart disease, or cancer. What they found was that

• People with very high B12 levels (over 600 pmol/L) had a 50% higher risk of death from any cause and more than double the risk of death from heart disease.
• Even moderately high levels (400-600 pmol/L) were linked to a 34% higher risk of death from any cause.

They analyzed 22 studies that included a total of 92,346 people. The results showed a clear pattern:

• For every increase of 100 pmol/L in serum vitamin B12, there was a 4% higher risk of death from any cause in the general population.
• This risk was even higher for older adults, who had a 6% higher risk of death for the same increase in B12 levels.
• The connection was a straight, linear trend, meaning the risk steadily increased as B12 levels went up.

Can A Lack Of Vitamin B12 Also Cause Heart Diseases?

To find this a 2023 study published in the BMC, looked at vitamin B12 (B12), a marker for B12 deficiency called methylmalonic acid (MMA), and the risk of death has been unclear, especially for people with coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to explore how MMA and B12—from blood levels, diet, or supplements—are connected to the risk of death from any cause and from cardiovascular issues in adults with CHD.

Researchers used data from a major US health survey to conduct this study. They included 1,755 adults who already had coronary heart disease (CHD) and whose levels of B12 and a related marker called MMA were measured. The study also looked at how much B12 the participants got from their diet. These individuals were followed for an average of nearly eight years to track how many of them passed away.

The study's key findings were about the connection between B12, MMA, and mortality:

Out of the 1,755 people in the study, 980 died during the follow-up period.

The study found no significant link between a person's B12 levels (from blood, diet, or supplements) and their risk of death.

In contrast, people with the highest levels of MMA had a 70% higher risk of death from any cause and double the risk of death from cardiovascular problems compared to those with the lowest MMA levels.

Interestingly, the risk of death from high MMA levels was even greater for participants who had a sufficient amount of B12 in their blood. In fact, CHD patients with high levels of both MMA and B12 had twice the risk of death compared to those with lower levels of both.

The study suggests that for patients with coronary heart disease, high levels of MMA are strongly linked to an increased risk of death, especially from cardiovascular causes. This was true even when their blood and dietary B12 levels were normal. This "paradox" may indicate that the body's ability to properly use vitamin B12 is what's important, not just the amount present in the blood.

Conclusion

Both studies and many experts agree that lack of vitamin B12 is an alarming factor for your heart health, however too much of it is also a risk variable. Before you make changes to your diet, whether to increase or decrease your vitamin B12 intake, make sure you speak to your healthcare professional to get a better idea of how much of it do you need.