Machine Learning Analyses Reveal Circadian Features Predictive of Risk for Sleep Disturbance.

Our results indicate that both direct and indirect mechanisms may impact sleep quality; sex-specific clock genotype combinations predictive of sleep disturbance may represent direct effects of clock gene function on downstream pathways involved in sleep physiology. In addition, the mediation of clock gene effects on sleep disturbance indicates circadian influences on the quality of sleep. Unraveling the complex molecular mechanisms at the intersection of circadian and sleep physiology is vital for understanding how genetic and behavioral factors influencing circadian phenotypes impact sleep quality. Such studies provide potential targets for further study and inform efforts to improve non-invasive therapeutics for sleep disorders.