Sleep debt exacts deceptive cost
By Bruce Bower
A modest but constant sleep shortage undermines alertness and other mental faculties in a matter of days, according to a report in the March 15 Sleep. Moreover, people who get by on a modest sleep deficit are often not aware of their shrinking thinking capabilities and don’t feel particularly drowsy, say Hans P.A. Van Dongen of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia and his colleagues.
The results raise concerns about the effects of such “sleep debts” on military personnel, medical residents, and shift workers, the researchers say.