Sleep changes as we age. When we were kids, we needed 10 to 12 hours of sleep, for teens it is eight to 10 and it decreases to seven to nine as we reach adulthood. But there is always a lack of urgency when it comes to sleep and young adults, many of whom prefer staying up and doing different activities. According to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention, many national surveys show that about 37% of men, and 39% of people from the age of 45 to 64 reported not getting enough sleep.

Many people in America don't sleep the right amount. This means they either sleep too long or not long enough. But what happens to your body when you do not sleep enough? You just feel tired right? No, when you don't get this much sleep, your body can get stressed. This can make you more likely to get sick. A study published by the JAMA Network Open Sleep Trajectories and All-Cause Mortality Among Low-Income Adults showed that people who don't sleep the right amount have a higher chance of dying early. It's like your body needs that time to rest and fix itself. Without enough good sleep, things can start to go wrong. So, getting the right amount of sleep is super important for staying healthy.

How Was The Study Done?

Scientists wanted to see how sleep habits affect people's health over many years. They looked at almost 47,000 people who were between 40 and 79 years old. They asked them about their sleep habits when the study started, and then again, a few years later. The scientists wanted to see if people's sleep habits changed. They divided people into groups based on if they started with too much or too little sleep, and if their sleep changed over time. For example, some people started sleeping a lot but then started sleeping very little. This helped the scientists see how different sleep patterns affected people's health. They wanted to see the long-term effects of sleep.

The study found that people who had sleep habits that changed a lot had a higher risk of dying early. This means if you started sleeping too much and then switched to sleeping too little, or the other way around, you were more likely to die sooner. They also found that these people had a higher risk of heart problems. The risks were even higher for some groups of people, like white adults and people with higher incomes.

Sleep Deprivation And Its Effect On The Body

If you often doze off when you are sitting and reading, watching a movie, talking to someone, sitting quietly after lunch or even during a few minutes of traffic, you may be sleep deprived according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. They explain how sleep deprivation can cause issues with learning, focusing and reacting to certain things. The symptoms of sleep deprivation in kids differ a little as they might be overly active and have trouble paying attention to certain things. If you are experiencing sleep issues, make sure to speak to a healthcare professional who will help you identify the issues and direct you towards the treatment or changes you must make. Here are some ways sleep helps your body.

Repairs Your Heart

Good sleep allows your heart and blood vessels to heal. This keeps them strong and healthy, reducing the risk of heart problems.

Controls Hunger

Sleep helps balance your hunger hormones, so you don't feel too hungry. This helps prevent eating too much and keeps your weight healthy.

Manages Blood Sugar

Proper sleep helps your body use insulin correctly. This lowers the chance of high blood sugar, which can lead to diabetes.

Supports Growth

Deep sleep releases growth hormones, helping kids and teens grow. It also repairs body tissues, which is important for everyone.

Boosts Immunity

When you sleep well, your body's defense system gets stronger. This helps you fight off germs and stay healthy.

For decades, mental health issues were explained as a result of many small genetic risks piling up over time. However, a study led by German scientists has now identified one gene whose specific variants could appear to directly impact psychiatric symptoms, even in the absence of neurological problems. In rare cases, the study suggests, a single faulty gene may be enough to directly cause mental disorders, much earlier tan doctors typically expect.

Scientists studying mutations in the GRIN2A gene found evidence that certain rare variants do not increase the likelihood of mental illness, but they appear to trigger it. This happens due to a clear biological mechanism, often in the beginning of childhood itself. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about how conditions like schizophrenia, anxiety, and mood disorders develop.

The findings are published in journal Molecular Psychiatry. The study describes GRIN2A null variants as the first known example of a single gene directly causing early-onset and even isolated psychiatric disorders, including early-onset schizophrenia.

How An Unexpected Pattern Emerged

The research team, led by Johannes Lemke from the University of Leipzig Medical Center, did not set out to study psychiatric genetics. They were working with a global registry of people diagnosed with GRIN2A-related disorders, most of whom were tested as children for epilepsy or developmental delays.

When the researchers began asking physicians about mental health diagnoses, a striking pattern emerged. Out of 121 individuals with disease-causing GRIN2A mutations, 25 had been diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Of those 25, 23 carried null variants that completely shut down the gene’s function. In contrast, only 2 of 37 people with missense variants, which alter but do not eliminate the protein, developed mental illness.

To understand how high and unusual this risk was, the team of researchers compared their findings with 21 years of national health records in Finland. This included records of over 5 million people, and the results were stark.

The analysis of this large population showed that by age 12, carriers of GRIN2A null variants showed an 87-fold higher rate of psychotic disorder compared to the general population. Although this estimate was based on just four cases, risks for mood disorders were nearly 12 times higher, and anxiety disorder six times higher.

What stood out most was timing. Schizophrenia typically appears in late adolescence or early adulthood. Anxiety and mood disorders usually emerge in the teenage years or later. In people with GRIN2A null variants, symptoms began as early as ages 8, 10, or 12.

How Does This Gene Operate In Your Brain?

GRIN2A carriers instruction for making a protein known as GluN2A. This is a critical component of NDMA receptors, which help brain cells respond to glutamate, brain's main excitatory chemical messenger.

When GluN2A is missing, these receptors cannot assemble or function normally. This is what leads to disruption in brain signaling that appears to directly drive psychiatric symptoms. Unlike polygenic risk scores that reflect tiny contributions from thousands of genes, GRIN2A null variants remove a key part of the brain's signaling machinery in one decisive step.

Interestingly, people with missense mutations had similar rates of epilepsy and intellectual disability as those with null variants. But when it came to psychiatric illness, only null variants carried substantial risk.

Mental Illness That Comes Without Warning Signs

Six people in the study developed psychiatric disorders without any intellectual disability. Two of them never experienced epilepsy. Without any known family history, these individuals would have never undergone a genetic testing otherwise. Current psychiatric guidelines also do not recommend genetic screening for isolated mental illness. This is because most participants who were initially tested for seizures or developmental delays, cases with only psychiatric symptoms are likely undercounted. The true prevalence may be higher.

A Targeted Treatment Shows Early Promise

Four people with GRIN2A null-related psychiatric disorders were treated with the amino acid L-serine for over a year, at doses up to 500 mg per kilogram daily. All four showed improvement. In one case, hallucinations stopped entirely. Others saw paranoid symptoms resolve, behavioral control improve, or seizures decrease.

L-serine converts to D-serine in the brain, which helps activate NMDA receptors. Boosting this pathway may compensate for the missing GluN2A subunits, offering a targeted approach rather than trial-and-error treatment.

Rethinking Early Diagnosis

More than 80 percent of people with GRIN2A null-related mental illness also had epilepsy at some point, though seizures did not predict who developed psychiatric symptoms. In most cases, mental illness appeared after epilepsy had resolved.

The findings suggest genetic testing could eventually become part of evaluating early-onset psychiatric disorders. For a small but significant group of patients, the cause of mental illness may be clearly identifiable, biologically grounded, and potentially treatable.

For most people living with mental disorders, the origins will remain complex. But this research shows that, sometimes, the answer may lie in a single gene.

Four-year-old Sienna Dunion had initially flu-like symptoms, however her condition rapidly worsened, leading to a coma. What seemed like a simple flu was actually Acute Necrotising Encephalitis (ANE), a rare and severe brain disorder. After undergoing multiple surgeries and having removed 60% of her intestines, she is now struggling to walk and talk like from before.

How Did It Begin?

The first indication, which was very easy to miss was when she asked to return home five minutes after heading out to play with her scooter, reports The Independent. She had always been happy and exciting, so for her to return home so soon was not normal. She had also complained about feeling "cold and chilly" to her older sister, however, all of such symptoms were just seen as a common cold or flu signs.

As a result, her parents, Gary and Angelina Dunion, decided to keep her off school on Monday 17 November. Her temperature raised, no one was really concerned. All of these were cold and flu symptoms. She was still playing with her Barbies.

But it was on a Wednesday morning when she became unresponsive and had to make an emergency trip to A&E in Kettering. This is when she was induced into coma and diagnosed with the rare brain disease ANE.

Three weeks later, her family is facing the challenges to cope with the new changes which may take away how her daughter was before. Now, she requires years of intense rehabilitation to learn how to walk and talk again.

What is Acute Necrotising Encephalitis (ANE)?

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare and serious brain condition that can cause sudden and rapid neurological decline after a viral infection, most often the flu or COVID-19. Because only a small number of cases have been reported worldwide, there is no standard treatment, making diagnosis and management especially difficult.

Sienna's father told The Independent, "For us, it’s really important that people can understand this has happened to a really healthy four-year-old girl who had no underlying issues. It has completely changed our lives overnight. What started as a flu has turned into a complicated brain disease and the last three weeks have just been horrendous.”

A Rare Diagnosis, But Urgent Care

Sienna had been feeling unwell on Monday and Tuesday, but it was on November 19 that her condition suddenly worsened. Her mother, Mrs Dunion, became alarmed when she tried to wake her and realised Sienna was unresponsive.

At A&E, doctors initially believed she was dehydrated after she tested positive for influenza. However, a CT scan showed unusual findings, including white lesions, while other test results remained unclear.

By 11 pm, doctors decided Sienna needed to be moved to the intensive care unit at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre. An MRI scan later confirmed a diagnosis of acute necrotising encephalopathy (ANE), a rare condition linked to viral infections.

Because of how uncommon the disease is, doctors designed a personalised treatment plan for her. This included plasma exchange, a procedure her family described as effectively washing her brain.

On Saturday, November 22, an ultrasound revealed a large build-up of fluid in her stomach. Sienna had to undergo emergency surgery, during which 60 per cent of her intestines were removed. Her father called it the hardest night of his life.

She later needed two more surgeries after air was found in her abdomen. Sienna now has a stoma bag and will live with short bowel syndrome for the rest of her life.

“The one thing doctors have been clear about is that she will not be the same when she fully wakes up,” Mr Dunion said. “She will need extensive rehabilitation.”

Although Sienna is awake, her father explained that she does not understand what is happening around her. She is weak, struggles to track with her eyes, and cannot eat on her own. The family is now fundraising to support her rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, feeding support, and changes needed at home.

A family struggling to cope

The couple also have a seven-year-old daughter, who is very close to Sienna. “They are best friends,” Mr Dunion said. “She keeps asking, ‘Where is Sienna? When can we be a family again?’”

He added that it is impossible to explain the seriousness of the situation to her. “I can’t tell her that she won’t be able to talk to her sister for a long time.”

“She was the most caring, easygoing four-year-old I’ve ever known,” her father said. “Even when she had a fever, she would check our temperature to make sure we were okay.”

He described her as a social child who loved being around other kids and had an infectious belly laugh. “We just don’t know if we’ll hear that laugh again,” he said.

The last thing anyone hopes to unwrap this Christmas is a heavy dose of flu. Yet as hospital admissions linked to the virus climb to levels not seen since 2010, this winter’s flu surge has pushed the NHS into what officials are calling a “worst-case scenario.”

Infections have jumped by over 50 per cent in just one week, and health leaders say there is still no clear peak. On average, 2,660 people a day were occupying hospital beds with flu last week, the highest figure ever recorded for this point in the season. Data from the UK Health Security Agency show the highest infection rates among children aged five to 14, followed closely by young people between 15 and 24. A number of schools have temporarily closed to curb outbreaks, while NHS leaders have advised people to consider wearing masks at work or on public transport, echoing guidance seen during the Covid years.

What Is Super Flu?

The strain driving the current spike has picked up the nickname “super flu” because it is believed to be a mutated form of influenza A (H3N2), known as “subclade K.”

Influenza H3N2 does not circulate as often as some other flu strains. Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, explains that the letters “H” and “N” refer to two proteins found on the virus surface, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. “The numbers simply tell us which versions of those proteins are present,” says Dr Clarke. “It’s a way of grouping strains. This year, H3N2 happens to be the one in the lead.”

“H3 subtypes are relatively uncommon,” he adds. “That means fewer people have built up immunity. There is also evidence they spread more easily and mutate faster, which makes them harder for vaccines to keep up with.

“What we are seeing now is the outcome of that: cases rising sharply earlier than usual, with numbers likely to climb further as winter goes on.”

How Does Super Flu Differ From The Usual Variety?

Broadly speaking, flu falls into three main groups, A, B and C, according to Professor Ed Hutchinson from the Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. “Types A and B are the ones that make people seriously ill each winter. Influenza C circulates too, but it rarely causes severe disease. They are related, but not closely enough that immunity to one protects against the others,” he explains.

The concern is not that the virus has suddenly become far more deadly. Many people will catch it and recover without major problems. “The issue is scale,” Hutchinson says, as reported by The Telegraph. “When a virus spreads widely, even a small proportion of severe cases quickly adds up. That is what puts pressure on individuals and on the NHS.”

Last week, around 1,700 flu patients were in hospital, a 63 per cent increase on the previous week and more than 50 per cent higher than the same period last year. This rise is partly linked to a particularly aggressive subtype of the circulating H3N2 virus. “This strain is appearing earlier and spreading faster than we would expect, and immunity levels in the population are lower than usual for this stage of the season,” says Dr Aslam.

Is The Flu Shot Effective Against Super Flu?

Recent figures suggest the flu vaccine cuts the risk of hospital admission by roughly 30 to 40 per cent in older adults. That protection rate is lower than for some other vaccines, but it is in line with flu vaccine performance in past years. For that reason, advice has not changed. Vaccination remains the single most effective step people can take to protect themselves and to ease pressure on the NHS.

Why Does The Vaccine Have Different Effectiveness In Different Age Groups?

This season’s vaccines are still doing a solid job of preventing severe illness. Vaccinated children are about 70 to 75 per cent less likely to need a hospital visit or admission for flu. Among adults, the reduction is closer to 30 to 40 per cent.

One reason for this gap is the type of vaccine used. Children receive a nasal spray, while adults are given an injection. Research shows the nasal spray works particularly well in children but is less effective in adults, which is why different recommendations exist. So the comparison reflects not just age, but also different vaccines.

Another factor is prior immunity. Adults have encountered many flu viruses over their lifetime, so the added benefit of each new vaccine dose may be smaller than it is for a child. Even so, that extra protection still matters and can make a real difference.