RECOVERY SLEEP AND PERFORMANCE FOLLOWING SLEEP-DEPRIVATION WITH DEXTROAMPHETAMINE

Twelve subjects were studied to determine the after-effects of using t hree 10-mg doses of dextroamphetamine to sustain alertness during slee p deprivation. Sleep architecture during recovery sleep was evaluated by comparing post-deprivation sleep beginning 15 h after the last dext roamphetamine dose to post-deprivation sleep after placebo. Performanc e and mood recovery were assessed by comparing volunteers who received dextroamphetamine first (during sleep deprivation) to those who recei ved placebo first. Stages 1 and 2 sleep, movement time, REM latency, a nd sleep latency increased on the night after sleep deprivation with d extroamphetamine vs, placebo, Stage 4 was unaffected. Comparisons to b aseline revealed more stage 1 during baseline than during either post- deprivation sleep period and more stage 2 during baseline than during sleep following placebo. Stage 4 sleep was lower during baseline than it was after either dose, and REM sleep was lower during baseline and after dextroamphetamine than after placebo. Sleep onset was slowest on the baseline night. Next-day performance and mood were not different as a function of whether subjects received dextroamphetamine or placeb o during deprivation. These data suggest dextroamphetamine alters post -deprivation sleep architecture when used to sustain alertness during acute sleep loss, but next-day performance and subjective mood ratings are not substantially affected, A recovery sleep period of only 8 h a ppears to be adequate to regain baseline performance levels after shor t-term sleep deprivation.