In a new study, the sleeping habits of more than 1,000 adults in Australia will be assessed to see if their sleep disorders are capable of being passed on to their kids, reports Medical Xpress.

The research will provide comprehensive data on the sleep patterns of adults aged 45 to 75 years old and investigate the most common disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnoea and ‘restless leg’ syndrome.

The unique research is the latest phase of the ongoing Raine Study which started in 1989 in Perth and has been tracking the health and development of more than 2,000 children from birth to adulthood.

In the past few years, about 1,000 of the young adults in the study took part in a sleep assessment when aged about 22 years old.

Now it’s their parents’ turn.

“The purpose of doing the parents is to see if there’s a genetic link and to establish the prevalence in that adult age range, because it’s a huge issue,” Raine Study manager Jenny Mountain says.

The researchers have invited parents to spend a night in one of several specially designed bedrooms at the UWA Centre for Sleep Science where their sleep will be monitored.

Read the full story at www.medicalxpress.com