Citation

Husband RW. J. Exp. Psychol. 1935; 18(6): 792-796.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1935, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/h0058747

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

"(1) To test the influence of interrupted sleep, a subject slept eight consecutive hours nightly for one month, and for the second month three hours, remained awake three, and then slept three more. Eleven mental and motor tests were administered each Saturday morning during both months. A physical examination was also taken each week at the same time. (2) The differences in performance between the two periods were very negligible. In those tests where there was learning, improvement kept taking place in spite of the alteration of sleep routine. Where performance ordinarily remains constant, there appeared only the usual daily fluctuations. There were suggestions as to very slight loss of efficiency in body sway and speed of tapping, but these were slight and inconsistent. (3) Health, from physical examinations and chemical tests, and from the subject's own feelings, remained excellent. (4) It is recognized that the use of only one subject makes the results only suggestive. However, all indications are in one direction, and we may say with complete assurance that the subject suffered no ill consequences at all from the slight reduction of sleep and the complete change in normal sleep habits." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)