Blackout shades can darken a room for a good night's sleep

The ability to sleep soundly may be related to an individual's genetic makeup, according to a study published in the October issue of the journal Neurology.

The researchers evaluated people who have a gene variant that is associated with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime drowsiness. However, having the gene variant doesn't mean individuals will have the disorder.

The study found that when individuals with the gene variant were awake, they were sleepier and more fatigued whether fully rested or sleep deprived, and their sleeping pattern was more fragmented than healthy sleepers.

"This gene may be a biomarker for predicting how people will respond to sleep deprivation, which has significant health consequences and affects millions of people around the world," researcher Namni Goel, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, told the journal. "It may be particularly important to those who work on the night shift, travel frequently across multiple time zones, or just lose sleep due to their multiple work and family obligations."


One way to ensure a good night's sleep is to install blackout shades to darken a room. Different styles of window shades come in blackout fabrics that provide the light control needed to create a darker room.