Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine researcher Hans Van Dongen, PhD, was featured in a BBC article exploring the science of short sleepers, people with a rare genetic mutation who only need 4–6 hours of sleep per night to feel rested.
In contrast to short sleepers, most people experience worse cognitive performance with just 4–6 hours of sleep. They also become increasingly unaware of the impairment, Van Dongen explained.
Van Dongen is a professor in the college’s Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology and a core faculty member and former director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center.