Evidence for Genetic Influences on Sleep Disturbance and Sleep Pattern in Twins
Abstract
The etiologic role of genotype and environment in sleep pattern (daytime napping, habitual bedtime, and sleep duration) and subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbance was examined using a general population sample of 3,810 adult Australian twin pairs, aged 17-88 years. Genetic differences accounted for at least 33% of the variance in sleep quality and sleep disturbance and 40% of the variance in sleep pattern. There was no evidence for a decline in the importance of genetic predisposition with age. Short-term environmental fluctuations accounted for as much as 30% of the variance, and more stable nonfamilial environmental effects accounted for the remainder. No effect of shared family environment on sleep characteristics was found.
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Genetic differences account for 30-45% of variance in subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbances and for about 50% in physiological measures of sleep stages.
“Systematic twin studies using large samples indicate that genetic differences account for 30 -45% of the variance in subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbances (186, 526, 889) and for ϳ50% in physiological measures of sleep stages (137,737,738).”
From About Sleep's Role in Memory (2013) · cites this paper as [526]
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- Authors
- Heath, A. C., Kendler, K. S., Eaves, L. J., & Martin, N. G.
- Affiliations
- Washington University Medical Center (US)
- Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (US)
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Martin, Nicholas G.
- Venue
- Sleep
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1990-07
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 318-335
- ISSN
- 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
- 1550-9109
- OpenAlex
- W2182766466
- Cited by
- 252
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 1.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- SLEEP (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (7r01da005588-02)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA06782, AA-07728)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA05588)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- sleep disorders, sleep quality, sleep patterns, daytime napping, bedtime, sleep duration, genetic factors, heritability, twin studies, gene-environment interaction, shared family environment, aging
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety Disorders, Diseases in Twins, Female, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Genetic, Risk Factors, Sleep Wake Disorders, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic, Cohort Studies
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