Sleep Stage Physiology, Mood, and Vigilance Responses to Total Sleep Deprivation in Healthy 80‐Year‐Olds and 20‐Year‐Olds

Abstract

Little is known about sleep and the effects of total sleep loss in the 'old old' (i.e., 80-year-olds). We investigated sleep, mood, and performance responses to acute sleep deprivation in healthy 80-year-olds (n = 10) and 20-year-olds (n = 14). The protocol consisted of three nights of baseline sleep, one night of total sleep deprivation, and two nights of recovery sleep. Mood and vigilance were tested using visual analog scales and a Mackworth clock procedure in the morning and evening of each study day. Daytime sleepiness was measured by five naps on the days following the third and sixth nights. Old subjects had lower sleep efficiency and less delta sleep than young subjects. However, sleep continuity and delta sleep were enhanced in both groups on the first recovery night, indicating that sleep changes in old subjects are at least partially reversible by this procedure. Surprisingly, young subjects had shorter daytime sleep latencies than the old, suggesting a greater unmet sleep need in the former group. Mood and performance were disturbed by sleep loss in both groups, but to a greater extent among the young. This suggests that acute total sleep loss is a more disruptive procedure for the young than for the old.

Mood regulation in seasonal affective disorder patients and healthy controls studied in forced desynchrony

“…In depressed patients, sleep deprivation often results in a pronounced improvement while recovery sleep is frequently followed by relapse (Wirz-Justice and Van den Hoofdakker, 1999). In contrast, healthy subjects experience a deterioration of mood when they are deprived of sleep (Gerner et al, 1979;Brendel et al, 1990). Thus, the regulation of mood is affected by manipulation of the sleep-wake cycle in both depressed patients and controls.…”

Sleep-related vehicle crashes on low speed roads

“…Many of those drivers who had a SR-H 17 crash had a passenger with them, although it is not known whether the passenger would have been 18 able to take over driving; it is a possible option which could have reduced the chance of SR crash. 19 Education campaigns may wish to focus on this area with an aim of empowering drivers to feel able 20 to ask passengers to take over the driving task and to encourage passengers to offer to drive. 21 However, it should be acknowledged that for young drivers, carrying a peer passenger can have a and severe road crashes can be attributed to sleepiness (Connor et al 2002).…”

“…18 Horne and Reyner 1996), variability in lane positioning (e.g. Anund et al 2008;Forsman et al, 2013) 19 and variability in speed control (e.g. Matthews et al 2012).…”

Parámetros subjetivos de sueño y estado de ánimo disfórico

“…Por ejemplo, la comparación del sueño de los jóvenes de 1963 con los de 1910-1911 mostraba una reducción del tiempo total de sueño de aproximadamente una hora y media, lo que sugiere que tendemos a perder horas de sueño por el actual estilo de vida (Carskadon, 1993). Por otra parte, diversos estudios han señalado los efectos perjudiciales de la privación de sueño en diversas medidas del estado de ánimo (Blagrove y Akehurst, 2001;Brendel et al, 1990;Beutler, Cano, Miró y Buela-Casal, 2003;Cano, Miró y Buela-Casal, 2001;Cutler y Cohén, 1979;Gillberg y Akerstedt, 1981;Hill et al, 1996;Mikulincer et al, 1989;Miró, Cano, Espinosa y Buela-Casal, 2002b;Reynolds et ai, 1986).…”

“…Generalmente estos estudios coinciden en señalar que este tipo de manipulaciones del sueño suelen producir efectos perjudiciales en un amplio rango de variables asociadas al bienestar psicológico. Por ejemplo, la privación de sueño produce generalmente un decremento en activación, vigor y vigilancia y un incremento en fatiga, somnolencia, ansiedad, confusión e irritabilidad (Brendel et al, 1990;Cutler y Cohén, 1979;Gillberg y Akerstedt, 1981;Hill, Welch y Godfrey, 1996;Leproult et al, 2003;Mikulincer, Babkoff, Caspy y Sing, 1989;Miró, Cano y Buela-Casal, 2002a;Reynolds etal., 1986).…”