Sleep Debt Hard to Repay
Sleep Debt Hard to Repay
Recovery From Chronic Sleep Loss Takes More Than a Good Night’s Sleep
Those with chronic sleep debts experienced deteriorating performance for each hour spent awake, which made them vulnerable to errors and accidents, especially late at night during hours normally reserved for sleep.
For example, as the sleep debt increased, performance on reaction timing tests worsened at a faster rate for each additional hour spent awake -- even though reaction times were within normal limits immediately after waking up.
Researchers say the results suggest that sleep deprivation affects the brain’s sleep patterns in at least two different ways. One sleep regulatory process builds up over hours spent awake and another accumulates over days or weeks of not getting enough sleep.
Sleep Debt Hard to Repay
Recovery From Chronic Sleep Loss Takes More Than a Good Night’s Sleep
More Than a Good Night’s Sleep continued...
Those with chronic sleep debts experienced deteriorating performance for each hour spent awake, which made them vulnerable to errors and accidents, especially late at night during hours normally reserved for sleep.
For example, as the sleep debt increased, performance on reaction timing tests worsened at a faster rate for each additional hour spent awake -- even though reaction times were within normal limits immediately after waking up.
Researchers say the results suggest that sleep deprivation affects the brain’s sleep patterns in at least two different ways. One sleep regulatory process builds up over hours spent awake and another accumulates over days or weeks of not getting enough sleep.
