Författare: Timothy Hearn Senior Lecturer in Bioinformatics Anglia Ruski

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. This unique rhythm often leads to changes in sleeping patterns. With nights shortened and days filled with fasting, many Muslims find themselves battling fatigue and a dip in alertness – and a well-timed nap may provide a much needed boost.

Recently published research on athletes fasting during Ramadan has demonstrated that even a 40-minute nap taken after a strenuous evening session can significantly improve physical and cognitive performance. And, in studies with soccer players, those who napped showed better performance in short-distance shuttle runs and attention tests than those who skipped the nap.

So, why can naps have such a transformative effect on our energy levels?

Siesta science

Naps work by giving the brain and body a chance to reset. When you’re awake for long stretches – especially under the stress of altered meal times and reduced nighttime sleep – the brain accumulates sleep pressure.

A nap, especially in the early afternoon when many experience a natural dip in alertness, can relieve that pressure and enhance mood, reaction time, and even physical endurance. One 2024 study, for instance, showed that a 40-minute nap not only reduced feelings of sleepiness but also improved performance in tasks that require focus and quick thinking. While a 2025 study of female athletes found that both 40-minute and even 90-minute naps could enhance physical performance and mood after a night of sleep restriction.

But it’s not all good news for habitual nappers. Although longer naps sometimes show even greater benefits, they may also lead to temporary grogginess – a phenomenon known as sleep inertia – which can counteract the positive effects if not managed properly.

But there’s evidence that exposure to bright light and face washing could help nappers combat sleep inertia. For some, though, this grogginess can linger long enough to affect productivity, mood, and overall performance.

When it comes to nap duration and timing, the key is to find the “sweet spot”. Short naps – lasting around 20 to 30 minutes – can improve alertness without causing sleep inertia. On the other hand, longer naps, such as those lasting 40 minutes or more, have been shown to boost both mental and physical performance but must be scheduled carefully to avoid interfering with nighttime sleep.

To nap, or not to nap?

During Ramadan, when the body is already adapting to a shifted sleep schedule, a carefully timed nap might be especially beneficial. It can serve as a counterbalance to the reduced sleep quality and quantity that sometimes accompany fasting. However, if taken too late in the day, a nap might delay the onset of your regular sleep cycle, leading to disrupted sleep patterns.

But, when taken at the right time, napping can be a valuable tool for enhancing alertness, mood, and even physical performance – benefits that are particularly relevant during periods of fasting like Ramadan.

Ultimately, the decision to adopt a daily nap should be guided by your personal lifestyle, sleep quality, and overall health goals. For many, a well-timed, moderate-length nap is not only a healthy habit, but also a strategic advantage in managing daily challenges – whether you’re fasting during Ramadan or simply trying to make the most of a hectic day. Läs mer…

Sleep isn’t just a luxury, it’s a vital process that helps our bodies repair and
rejuvenate. Researchers have started to uncover how the quality and timing of sleep can affect more than just how rested we feel – it might also affect the very blueprint of our cells: our DNA.

A new study from Canada found that melatonin, a hormone known for its role in regulating sleep, might help reverse some of the DNA damage caused by years of poor sleep.

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in our brains when darkness
falls. It signals to our bodies that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
Beyond its sleep-inducing properties, melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant.

Antioxidants help protect our cells from oxidative stress – a condition in which an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants can damage important cellular
components, including DNA. Oxidative DNA damage is thought to contribute to the development of diseases, such as cancer.

Night-shift workers, who often battle irregular sleep patterns and diminished
melatonin production due to exposure to artificial light, are at a particularly high risk.

Their disrupted sleep cycles can lead to a reduced ability to repair oxidative DNA damage, which might, over time, increase their risk of developing serious health issues.

What the research shows

In the Canadian study, 40 participants who regularly worked night shifts were given either a 3mg melatonin supplement or a placebo before their daytime sleep. The researchers then measured the repair of oxidative DNA damage by analysing levels of a marker known as 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) in urine samples. Higher levels of this marker indicate better DNA repair activity because damaged DNA is being successfully removed from cells.

The study found that during the period of daytime sleep, participants who took
melatonin showed an 80% increase in urinary 8-OH-dG compared to those who took
the placebo. This result, although described as “borderline statistically significant”, suggests that melatonin may boost the body’s natural DNA repair mechanisms when the sleep schedule is disrupted. However, during subsequent night shifts – when melatonin levels naturally fall – the effect was not observed.

These findings are consistent with earlier research indicating that melatonin not only has antioxidant properties but may also boost specific genes involved in the repair process. Melatonin, then, appears to help the body recognise and get rid of damaged segments of DNA, potentially reducing the long-term risks associated with accumulated cellular damage.

Enhanced repair

When headlines claim that melatonin supplements “reverse DNA damage”, it’s
important to understand what that really means.

The study does not suggest that melatonin completely erases years of accumulated DNA damage. Instead, it points to melatonin’s potential to enhance the body’s repair capacity. For people who have suffered from years of poor sleep – whether due to night shifts, insomnia or lifestyle factors – melatonin might help mitigate further damage by improving the efficiency of the body’s natural repair processes.

While the idea of reversing DNA damage is certainly appealing, more research is needed. The study was relatively small, and its participants were exclusively night shift workers – a group with unique challenges regarding sleep and circadian rhythms, the body’s natural 24-hour cycle that controls sleep, wakefulness and eating.

Larger trials, exploring different doses and long-term use, will be crucial to determine whether melatonin supplementation can have a broader application for those who don’t get enough sleep.

What does this mean for you?

The research adds an interesting piece to the puzzle of how sleep and overall health are interconnected. Melatonin supplements are already widely used to help regulate sleep patterns and combat jet lag, but are only available on prescription in the UK.

This new evidence suggests that their benefits might extend beyond just helping you
fall asleep – they could also play a role in maintaining the health of your DNA.
While melatonin supplements might not completely “reverse” years of DNA damage
from poor sleep, they do appear to boost the body’s natural repair processes – a
hopeful sign that improved sleep quality, aided by melatonin, could be a key element in our quest for better health.

That said, melatonin is not a magic bullet. A healthy lifestyle, including good sleep hygiene, balanced nutrition and regular exercise, remains essential for protecting your cells from damage. Läs mer…

A US biotech company has genetically modified mice to have traits from the extinct woolly mammoth. Researchers at Colossal Laboratories and Biosciences endowed their mice with the thick, shaggy hair of the mammoth and its efficient fat metabolism, which helped it survive in icy conditions.

Colossal’s ultimate goal is to introduce these woolly mammoth traits, along with others, into modern elephants. This general area of science has become known as de-extinction.

However, elephants have long gestation (pregnancy) periods, exhibit complex social behaviour, and experimentation on them raises significant ethical challenges, including the issue of animal welfare. Therefore, the researchers have chosen mice for the initial experiments.

Mice breed quickly, and their genes are easier to modify, which allows
scientists to test and refine their methods in an animal they understand well.

Instead of trying to clone a dead mammoth, Colossal is trying to transform an modern elephant into a mammoth. The process begins with ancient DNA. Colossal’s team extracted genetic material from woolly mammoth remains preserved in Arctic permafrost – a natural archive that has safeguarded genetic secrets for thousands of years.

By comparing this ancient DNA with that of modern elephants, the researchers identified the specific genes responsible for the mammoth’s distinctive woolly coat and its rapid fat metabolism.

The next step was to use a powerful gene editing tool
called Crispr. This molecular technique enables scientists to make precise modifications (changes) in an organism’s DNA. In the laboratory, the researchers applied Crispr to edit the DNA of mouse embryos, introducing the mammoth versions of the genes that control hair texture and fat metabolism.

Many experiments were needed and a large number of mouse embryos underwent testing to ensure the genetic modifications were successful. However, the work clearly demonstrated that these complex genetic traits could be replicated in a living model.

A woolly mouse contrasted with one that hasn’t been modified.
Colossal Biosciences, Author provided (no reuse)

This is a process that would be far more difficult, and ethically challenging, if
attempted directly in elephants. However, the success in mice provides a critical proof of concept.

In an elephant, the process would involve editing early-stage embryos and implanting them into a surrogate elephant mother. For now, the work in mice offers a safer, efficient and more cost-effective way to test and perfect the scientists’ gene editing approaches.

Although the prospect of an elephant with woolly mammoth characteristics may still
be a distant goal, the current work with mice is an essential early milestone. By focusing on a manageable animal, the scientists can gather vital data and refine their techniques without the immediate complications that would arise from working with larger, more complex animals.

This methodical progression – from mice to elephants – ensures that each step is
shown to be effective before moving on to the next. Such incremental progress in science can eventually lead to groundbreaking advances.

Mammoths recovered from permafrost have allowed scientists to reconstruct the animals’ genetic code.
KIYOSHI OTA / EPA IMAGES

Although the whole concept of bringing the mammoth back might sound like science fiction, Colossal envisions a future where de-extinction and genetic enhancement play a key role in restoring natural ecosystems.

Their research could pave the way for reviving other species, such as the thylacine – a carnivore that lived on the island of Tasmania – or the dodo, which once roamed Mauritius. The work might even contribute to the survival of current endangered species by enhancing their natural defences, such as introducing genes that confer immunity to disease.

As habitats shrink and species become increasingly endangered, innovative conservation strategies are urgently needed. Gene editing, as demonstrated in these experiments, could provide a complementary tool to traditional conservation methods.

By bestowing modern species with traits that once helped extinct animals survive in extreme conditions, scientists hope to improve their resilience to a changing environment. Läs mer…