While some things should be obvious to an intelligent, relativly well-adjusted adult, my sleep patterns are off lately. This is due to a lot of factors including a contracting job, but it is really affecting my mood and general outlook. I allowed myself to sleep in this morning.
The surprising news is that partial, or low-level, sleep deprivation has a bigger effect on behavior than either the short or long-term complete sleep deprivation experienced by residents (Sleep, May 1996). Until recently, the effects of partial sleep deprivation have been seriously underestimated.
Always deciding to play that last game on the computer or finish an online chat session before going to sleep might actually be more detrimental to my moods and functioning instead of staying up all night. The article, while old, gives me something to think about.
