SLEEP 2011 Abstract Supplement

A. Basic Science XI. Sleep Deprivation
Methods: A tightly-controlled experimental design was utilized to examine
the effects of 64 hours of sustained wakefulness in healthy adults.
Dependent measures were daytime and nocturnal urinary norepinephrine
levels, self-reported stress levels, and microsleeps assessed with
polysomnography. After two nights of baseline (9-hour) sleep, 16 participants
(5 women, 11 men) completed the vigil, followed by two nights
of 9-hour recovery sleep. Seven control participants (4 women, 3 men)
had a 9-hour sleep opportunity on all study nights. Participants remained
in the laboratory for the duration of the study, under low lights and postural
control during nighttime periods.
Results: Nocturnal norepinephrine increased significantly in the sleepdeprived
group from baseline through the sleep deprivation period (t=-
3.92, p=.002) and returned to baseline with recovery sleep; there were
no significant changes in the control group. Change in daytime norepinephrine
levels relative to baseline was negatively correlated with 1)
the increase in microsleeps over the entire wakefulness vigil (rho=-.80,
p=.002) and 2) the number of microsleeps during the last day of sustained
wakefulness (rho=-.79, p=.001). Subjective stress levels also increased
with sleep loss relative to baseline in the sleep-deprived group
(p