Why do we respond differently to sleep deprivation?

Future Research Directions in Sleep and ADHD

“…Identified genetic markers have been linked not only to an increased risk for specific sleep disorders such as narcolepsy (Viorritto, Kureshi, & Owens, 2011), restless legs syndrome (Xiong, 2011), and obstructive sleep apnea (Khalyfa et al, 2009; Khalyfa, Serpero, Kheirandish-Gozal, Capdevila, & Gozal, 2011) but also to differential vulnerability to the effects of sleep loss in adults (Verma & Verma, 2010). Similarly, there is evidence to support a genetic predisposition to individual differences in circadian preference (“morningness” vs. “eveningness”; Barclay et al, 2011); for example, polymorphisms in genes coding for melatonin-synthesizing enzymes or receptors or in “clock genes” in children with ADHD may account for observed deficits in circadian periodicity.…”