EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SLEEP DURATION ON DELTA-SLEEP IN RECOVERY NIGHTS

The study assessed the effects of different amounts of sleep restricti on on slow wave sleep (SWS) in the ensuing recovery nights. After one adaptation night and an 8-hr baseline night, six healthy men were indi vidually studied during and following five nights in which sleep was r educed to 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 hr with a 1-week interval between conditio ns. Each sleep reduction was followed by an 8-hr recovery night. Final ly, a second 8-hr baseline night was recorded. A trend analysis reveal ed that SWS amount in recovery nights increases with decreasing previo us sleep duration. Regression analyses showed that, within each partic ipant, the rebound of SWS after a sleep reduction is predicted better by the total duration of sleep than by the specific amount of SWS lost .