The Dangers Of Partial Sleep Deprivation
As part of a study performed by the University of Pennsylvania, four paid volunteers spent a week and a half sequestered in a dimly lit hospital suite. They were required to stay awake until 4:00am, then they were woken up at 8:00am for five days in a row. Afterwards, the volunteers were tested to measure the effects of what is called “chronic partial sleep deprivation.” Essentially, this is what happens to people who have sleeping problems or sleep disorders.
The findings stunned the scientists. They discovered that there are cumulative effect that develop as a result of regular lack of sleep - our abilities to think fast, react quickly, and remember things are greatly impaired. For most people, a single night with only four or five hours of sleep begins to effect attention, memory, and speed of thought. After a second and a third night, the impairment gets much worse. Each subsequent day without a good night of sleep decreases overall cognitive ability.
If you have trouble sleeping or a sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea, you probably already know how a lack of sleep affects your ability to function. One way to avoid the effects of chronic partial sleep deprivation is to use the Speed Sleep techniques - repeated use of the Speed Sleep tracks can lead to a significant improvement in the amount and quality of your sleep, and it can help you fall asleep more quickly and easily, thus avoiding the many negative issues that accompany various sleep problems.
Tags: Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Studies