Need a lot or very little sleep? Don’t blame it on willpower; it likely has to do with your genes.

Out of more than 700 participants in a particular study, two people stood out. These individuals were blessed with a trait most of us can only envy: Just six hours of sleep was enough to propel them through a very active day. Unlike most people, who need about eight hours of shut-eye, the pair did not suffer debilitating effects of chronic sleep deprivation, such as impaired cognition and memory.

The two individuals also performed a great service to science: As participants in sleep research conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, the subjects’ unusual sleep patterns led researchers to a specific gene for “short sleepers.”

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© 2009 Forbes

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