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.
Sleep Debt. The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Getting too little sleep creates a sleep debt, which is much like being overdrawn at a bank. Eventually, your body will demand that the debt be repaid. We don't seem to adapt to getting less sleep than we need. While we may get used to a sleep-depriving schedule, our judgment, reaction time, and other functions are still impaired.