You are NOT Superhuman. Get Some Sleep.

Research in the area of sleep has truly grown in recent years, and we have so many more insights into the effect of sleep on human functioning such as motor vehicle operation or simple daytime sleepiness.  "Catastrophes, Sleep, and Public Policy: Consensus Report" by Mitler, Carskadon, Czeisler, Dement, Dinges, and Graeber compiles the findings from several previous studies conducted by these authors.  Tests previously used include the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, and the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.  Frequency of naps and the time periods of sleep stages were also previously considered.  The authors cite an impactful discovery in the finding that the neural processes controlling alertness and sleep create an increased sleep tendency and decreased ability to properly function early in the morning, as well as during the afternoon 'slump' we all feel between roughly 2 pm and 5 pm, although the latter occurrence is to a notably lesser degree.  I note that the effects of sleep loss are in cumulative, continuously increasing the risk of an error from sudden extreme sleepiness with accumulated sleep debt.  Physical activity and dietary stimulants (i.e. caffeine) only work for so long ... during long enough periods of sustained stillness while sleep-deprived, we get overwhelmingly sleepy and easily fall asleep.

So am I not to be blamed for falling asleep in class?  No, my process "S" (my body's awareness of its own need for sleep) is to be blamed.  But: the truth is that my body's actions are under my conscious control because I can choose to get enough sleep every day.  Deaths increase during the "sleepiness zone" between about 3 and 6 am as well as during the afternoon 'slump' mentioned before.  The number of heart attacks occurring increases between 6 and 10 am.  Most striking to me, the number of fatigue-related car accidents sees one of its largest peaks in the parameters here studied between 1 am and 7 am, particularly in the early morning hours.

I already mentioned in one of my previous blogs that my cousin, a while ago, but not too far removed from memory, was in a bad fatigue-related car accident.  She crashed around 5 am, during a roughly 5-hour drive, towards the end of her commute.  She was alone on this trip.  Again, she survived, somehow without injury, but she was very shaken up -- as was I and the rest of our family.  She totaled her car.  She was not superhuman, immune to the effects of sleep deprivation, and neither am I.

The article humbly noted that a direct correlation between human responses and incident errors from lowered alertness, delayed reaction, or inattention cannot be shown.  However, there is enough data to actually suggest that the effect cannot be zero, or that an effect of 0 is unlikely to say the least.  Sleep and related factors are no doubt involved in a myriad of history's disasters.  With this knowledge, the author committee of this article created a list of recommendations to readers including but not limited to: (1) encouraging policy makers in organized labor, management, and government to monitor the effects of sleep physiology on performance, (2) creating programs that identify signs of sleep-related error, (3) being cognizant of time zones for vulnerable performance, (4) implementing adaptive work shifts focused on promoting sufficient and healthy sleep so as to promote safety in the workplace with minimal expense and (5) pursuing more research into the area of human function as it relates to sleep health.

 

I had 2 lacrosse games yesterday, on about 6.5 hours of sleep.  I also had to drive an hour to the location of both of my games.  When I arrived, I felt sleepy and "slow."  As soon as we started running, my alertness increased but I can't help but think this adjustment would not have been needed with a proper amount of sleep.  I cannot help but think that the couple of times I got beat on defense, my slow reactions were attributed to lack of sleep.  I have definitely noticed proportionally slower cognitive ability with less sleep.  So maybe the myth of the all-nighter study session should be busted?  I would definitely love to see more research conducted with sleep-deprived college students on functional ability.  College students need to be better educated on the effects of sleep deprivation, including myself.  College students would benefit from more exposure to information on the combined effects of alcohol, caffeine, and sleep-deprivation.  We would benefit from more exposure to information simply on how to sleep more, study less, and use time wisely.  I would enjoy pursuing this area of research myself.