Rawisara Thongchantra (Roong)

Research Project: Epigenetics with Insomnia

Introduction
Because genes, as a part of DNA, is a coded information that
passed from parents to next generation so, as a result, every offspring
will receive some characteristics that similar or same as the parents
as the genes passed down. However, sometimes new characteristics
that never happened within a family can happen to the offspring too.
Epigenetic is a study of changes that happen to our phenotype and
dont affect to genotype. The offspring that has new characteristics
that different from the parents can be considered as Epigenetics if its
happened without changing in DNA sequences and the characteristics
of the offspring changes because of environment or daily routine of
that offspring. One of the example of this is Insomnia disease.
Insomnia is a condition when you are hardly fall asleep even you want
to do so. It can last for a day to 3 months or more depends on the
types of the Insomnia disease that person get. Insomnia can occur
more in woman and people over age 60. There is many causes of
Insomnia such as illness, depression, abnormal sleep schedule, stress,
and any other environmental factors. A stress is one of the causes that
very important for the disease as it actually affects to 3 types of gene
that associated with Insomnia which are serotonin transporter gene
(5-HTTLPR), Clock genes, and ROR1 and ROR2 genes. In order to
measure the stress, as the cause of Insomnia, we can measure 2
things that show amount of stress in human which are Blood pressure,
and Vagal tone. Blood pressure is the measure of the blood force act
on the blood vessel. The measuring of blood vessel can help us to
know amount of stress because when people are in stressful condition,
we will secrete cortisol and catecolamine which can be measured
easily by blood so, we are able to know the amount of stress by
measuring these in blood pressure. Same as Blood pressure,
measuring Vagal tone or the parasympathetic impulse can help us to
investigate cortisol and catecolamine in blood which leads us to
amount of stress.
 As a consequence, this experiment was carried out in order to
investigate the epigenetics and Insomnia disease and how reducing of
stress can affect to the Insomnia disease in people.

Experiment:
Independent variables
- The group of people living without stress (woman/men)
- The group of people living with stress (women/men)
Dependent variable
-Decrease/ increase in symptom of Insomnia
Control variable
- Age 30-45
- 2 groups (25 people/ group)
- Time takes : 3 months
Materials:
- Blood pressure monitor
- Device for measuring Vagal tone
- Watch / clock

Procedure:
1. Find people with Insomnia disease in following categories:
a. Man (age 30-45) 50 people
b. Woman (age 30-45)- 50 people
2. Separate each group to 2 groups and let them live in different
environment:
a. Man (age 30-45) 25 people live in the same
environment
b. Man (age 30-45) 25 people live in the place where
theyre comfortable with
c. Woman (age 30-45) 25 people live in the same
environment
d. Woman (age 30-45) 25 people live in the place where
theyre comfortable with
3. Observe them for 3 months about:
 a. Changes in DNA methylation
b. Amount of the stress that can be measured by:
1. Blood pressure
2. Vagal tone
c. Insomnia diseases symptoms
d. Quantity of DNA methylation of (5-HTTLPR), Clock genes,
and ROR1 and ROR2 genes
By using this table (for each person)
Name:
Amount of stress symptom Quantity of DNA
methylation
Wee Blood Vagal Time Sleep 5- Clock ROR
k pressure tone takes hours / HTTLP genes 1
before day R and
going to ROR
sleep 2

4. Calculate the results in group (4 groups) and compare

calculated results of each groups to the others.

Hypothesis: If the men live in the place where theyre comfortable to,
then they will be able to decrease their stress and the symptoms of
Insomnia the most.

Implication
According to the research, stress can affect greatly to Insomnia
disease which also affect directly to the persons health such as
memories problem, sleepiness and tiredness during the day.
These issues can lower the persons performance on the job and
increase the risk for accident, mental disease, and long term
 disease. Thus, we recommend the companies or employers to
reduce working time or task for each employees which doesnt
only make the employees feel happier and healthier, but it also
increase their performance as well.

References
Angelo Gemignani, L. P. (2013). An Epigenetic Model of Insomnia?
Sleep Disorders & Therapy, 1.
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS. (n.d.). Retrieved from ncsu.edu:
https://ncsu.edu/succeed/beginning-
teachers/overview/documents/DISCUSSIONANDIMPLICATIONSexa
mple.pdf
Epigenetics: Fundamentals. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.whatisepigenetics.com/:
http://www.whatisepigenetics.com/fundamentals/
Insomnia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sleepfoundation.org:
https://sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/content/what-is-insomnia
Laura Palaginia, K. B. (2013). The genetics of insomnia e Evidence for
epigenetic mechanisms? Sleep Medicine Review, 1-9.
RALOFF, J. (2016, August 31). Explainer: What is epigenetics?
Retrieved from www.sciencenewsforstudents.org:
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/explainer-what-
epigenetics
Staff, M. C. (n.d.). Insomnia. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/dxc-20256961