ABSTRACT
Insomnia is the second most common psychiatric disorder in clinical practice, and more than one-third of adults may experience different forms of insomnia during their lifetime, but the root causes behind insomnia need further clarification. Early evidences from twins and family studies had shown that insomnia can be attributed to genetics. In recent years, with the rapid development of gene sequencing technology, Nature Genetics had published several consecutive articles focusing on insomnia and genes, confirming that genetic factors played an important role in the occurrence and development of insomnia. Therefore, the recent research progresses on insomnia and circadian rhythm, cytokines, neurotransmitters, and other related genes were summarized in this review, which could help to understand the pathogenesis of insomnia and develop precise treatment strategies.