Insomnia may be inherited and has links to depression

SCIENTISTS have discovered that insomnia may be hereditary, which could pave the way for new treatments.

Researchers identified specific genes that may trigger the development of sleep disorders. They also discovered a genetic link between insomnia and conditions such as depression and Type 2 diabetes.

Around a third of Brits have insomnia and it affects military veterans in larger numbers. The study analysed data from 33,000 soldiers. Lead author Prof Murray Stein, of the University of California San Diego, and his team found a “genetic correlation between insomnia and other psychiatric disorders such as major depression, and physical disorders such as Type 2 diabetes. “A better understanding of the molecular bases for insomnia will be critical for the development of treatments.”