ask dr. read      Idaho Statesman columns      new articles      biography      formal resume      philosophy      services offered      contact dr. read      psychology links      other links      forms      pictures		Sleep Deprivation Effects Mainly Mental by James M. Read, Ph.D. The impact of not sleeping very well the night before an important or scary or exciting event is not earthshaking. Tossing and turning unable to sleep we tend to worry about how terrible we'll feel the next day. And how poorly we expect to perform. But research on the subject of sleep deprivation shows that small to moderate sleep losses have little effect, especially on physical performance. I always sleep poorly the night before something I'm excited or anxious about. I used to think that I'd be in terrible shape the next day if I didn't get to sleep right away. I used to look at the clock and worry even more. I don't do that anymore. I know better. And my sleep has improved as a result. I don't worry about the fact that I'm not falling asleep quickly because I know it won't make that much difference the next day. I never look at the clock. Doing that just makes me worry all the more. I'm much better off if I don't know how long it has been since I went to bed. That way I can't calculate how much sleep I'm not getting! The effects of sleep deprivation depend not only on how much sleep you've lost and the type and intensity of your activity, but also on your age, personality, and the time of day. Studies have shown that sleep deprived subjects often perceive their exertion and fatigue to be greater than after normal sleep. But measures of actual performance show little or no change. In other words, it may be mostly "in your head." At least for moderate sleep loss, and moderate intensity tasks. Some types of mental activity seem to be affected a little more. Those requiring creativity, for example, suffer a little more. And long repetitive tasks show decrements more than short and interesting ones. The nicest thing about sleep deprivation is that all it takes is a good night's sleep to restore us completely! The best way to avoid the problem is not to think about it. Remind yourself, as you are tossing and turning and worrying, that the impact of one less than normal night's sleep will be negligible. If you can stop worrying you'll probably fall asleep quickly! If you don't, get up and read for a little while (something pleasant and distracting) and then try again. James M. Read, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist  Originally published in The Idaho Stateman newspaper (Boise, Idaho) January 20, 1994 For more information, or to contact the author (that's me!), write to James M. Read, Ph.D., jread@jread.com