This gene encodes transthyretin, one of the three prealbumins including alpha-1-antitrypsin, transthyretin and orosomucoid. Transthyretin is a carrier protein; it transports thyroid hormones in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, and also transports retinol (vitamin A) in the plasma.
6 Surprising Signs You Need More Sleep. You know the classic signs: You're dragging at work, you're yawning all day, you're sluggish and you swear you can actually hear your bed calling your name. You need to sleep. On the days when a fourth cup of coffee is masking the most obvious signs, you might think you've won the battle. But don't kid yourself.
While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more. And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, most older people still need at least 7 hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap.