Researchers perform cross-sectional analysis to understand the link between insomnia and anemia
A good night's sleep is essential for a healthy body and mind, for when we sleep is when the body resets, repairs, and refreshes itself. A lot of people, however, have trouble falling or staying asleep, a condition known as insomnia that affects up to 30% of the population.
It is usually caused by an underlying psychiatric or clinical condition and is associated with a poorer quality of life. Recent genome wide analyses have revealed that a gene MEIS1 is linked with insomnia.
Interestingly, this gene has also been implicated in restless leg syndrome and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), the latter caused by a decrease in the oxygen transporter in the blood--hemoglobin (Hb). While studies have shown a correlation between anemia and sleep disorders in infants and children, less is known about their association in adults.