We all know that sleep is super necessary for all aspects of life -- to be healthy and to be a productive human. But a recent study is showing how not getting enough sleep can be just as bad as not getting any sleep at all.
A sleep deprivation study published in the journal Sleep found that those who slept for six hours a night for two weeks straight performed just as poorly as those who were awake for two days straight. However, those who did get the six hours of sleep a night thought tey were
In the study, researchers had 48 participants and restricted their sleep to four, six and eight hours a night. Another group was told to stay awake for three days straight. When awake, the participants underwent tests every two hours to evaluate cognitive performance and reaction time. They also reported on their mood and any other symptoms they were feeling.
Those who slept eight hours a night performed the highest on average. Those who only received four hours of sleep per night performed worse each day. The group who got six hours of sleep a night has the most interesting results -- they performed fine for the first 10 days, then their cognitive performances fell to be just as bad as those who hadn't gotten any sleep. This same group didn't report feeling all that sleepy either.
Basically, consistently getting six hours of sleep per night will impact your performance in the long run. Worse yet, you won't even be that aware of it. You won't feel sleepy or even realize that your body and mind are tired, but your overall performance will certainly show that you are.
The solution? Get more sleep, obviously. Of course, its never as simple as that. But perhaps you should reevaluate your nightly routine and set your schedule up so that you are able to get a peaceful rest at the end of each day.
