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Stock Sleep for Time of Need

Press Release
Release date: 24th February 2010

A study has shown that it is possible to stock up on sleep in advance. The study revealed that people who get extra sleep and then go through a period of intense activity with less sleep are much better able to cope and recover than those who just had their regular sleep before hand.

A group of volunteers in the U.S. study conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research agreed to change their sleep pattern in advance of a sleep deprivation test. The group was split in half and one half got extra sleep whereas the other half had the same as usual.
 
The next week the entire group were deprived of normal sleep, only receiving 3 hours a night. They were set a variety of activities and tasks of differing levels of complexity and it soon became apparent that those who had stored sleep were “more resilient during the sleep restriction,” said Tracy Rupp, the study leader.
 
Ms Rupp added that "They showed less performance deterioration with regards to reaction time and alertness than the group that had been given the habitual prior sleep." Additionally, a week after the experiment ended the group members who had stored sleep were able to recover quicker than their counterparts.
 
"What we're basically saying is if you fill up your reserves and pay back your sleep debt ahead of time, you're better equipped to deal with the sleep loss challenge," said Rupp, who in foresight suggested that “the operational planning could take this information into account and give soldiers additional sleep prior to a long term mission."
 
When asked about the benefits of ‘napping’, Rupp responded, saying "Although this study didn't use napping, it has been shown to be very effective, at least improving performance in the short term.

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