Researchers discovered the reason why some people tend to sleep late at night. They attributed the night owl's sleep patterns to the "Sleep Martian" genetic mutation called that can turn a person's sleep patterns into a Martian. A gene mutation caused permanent changes in the DNA sequence of a gene that made it a lot different from that found in other people. A solar day in Mars is equal to 24h 39m 35.24409s, almost 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth equivalent to 24h 00m 00.002s.
A person with the "Sleep Martian" genetic mutation has a body clock that is a mismatch to the circadian rhythm. These people do not follow the Earth's 24-hour schedule, but instead, they live on a 24 1/2-hour schedule that closely follow the Martian time. Rockefeller University researchers say people with this genetic mutation have longer body clocks compared to other people. Their sleep pattern is so different they usually suffer from a delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) or some form of insomnia.
Rockefeller University Laboratory of Genetics Head Alina Patke said carriers of the "Sleep Martian" gene mutation have longer days than the actual time in their planets they play catch-up all the time, according to Today. Researchers are, however, puzzled because only 1.2 percent of the population carry the mutation. On the contrary, there are millions of people in the planet who have different body clocks.
"It's as if these people have perpetual jet lag, moving eastward every day," principal researcher Michael Young said. "In the morning, they're not ready for the next day to arrive."
Those with the "Sleep Martian" mutation in the genes do not only suffer from sleep fragmentation, but their body temperature also have disrupted cycles. The researchers studied six Turkish families with the mutation and observed their sleep patterns in a controlled environment. Left on their own without a clock or other indications of the time of day, the research subjects followed a 24 1/2-hour schedule daily.
