Lack of sleep causes cumulative cognitive dysfunction

If you don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, you'll "seriously impair waking neurobehavioral functions" in otherwise healthy adults, according to this study.

Even just a relatively small amount of consistent sleep deprivation (say, getting only 6 hours of sleep a night) causes cumulative problems with cognitive ability. After two weeks at this level, subjects were affected as if they had stayed up for two days straight.

However, the subjects didn't notice anything particularly wrong: they didn't feel sleepy or impaired. That's a big danger with sleep deprivation—you cannot accurately judge it's impact on your own performance.

So get a good night's sleep consistently, and enjoy better cognitive performance—consistently.

/\ndy

Thanks to Jeff Hemmelgarn for spotting this.

Comments

[Dan Hinojosa]

I got a sleep study for snoring, and although I thought I got a good night's sleep I was told that I wake up constantly. It's a good idea to have that checked out with a doctor.

[Fred Daoud]

I should be in bed right now, as a matter of fact. But when I try explaining the negative effects of sleep deprivation to 3-week-old baby Ruby........ ;)

[Iggy]

no wonder I walk like humpty dumpty