Performance deteriorates when sleep is restricted to six hours per night for a week and does not improve after two nights of recovery sleep, however, women may be less affected than men by this workweek pattern of sleep loss.
According to principal investigator Dr. Alexandros N. Vgontzas, professor of psychiatry and endowed chair in sleep disorders medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine and director of the Sleep Research and Treatment Center at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, after one workweek of mild sleep deprivation, two recovery nights did not improve performance even though it did improve sleepiness.
The study also found significant gender differences. Compared with men, women were found to have less subjective sleepiness and less performance deterioration during sleep restriction, as well as greater improvements after recovery. These differences were associated with increased amounts of slow-wave sleep, or “deep sleep,” in women at baseline.
“In women, but not in men, deep sleep appeared to have a protective effect,” said Vgontzas. “Women with a higher amount of deep sleep can handle better the effects of one workweek of mild sleep deprivation, and their recovery is more complete after two nights of extended sleep.”
The study concluded that complete performance recovery after one workweek of mild sleep deprivation may require more than just two nights of extended sleep.
1 comment:
The gender difference may reflect our ancient cavemen habits. Men went out hunting while women were looking after babies. So they may have developed better tolerance to sleep deprivation.
If two days of increased sleep won't improve performance, we might as well stay awake and do something in those 'extra' hours.
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