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Energy expenditure during sleep, sleep deprivation and sleep following sleep deprivation in adult humans
Author(s) -
Jung Christopher M.,
Melanson Edward L.,
Frydendall Emily J.,
Perreault Leigh,
Eckel Robert H.,
Wright Kenneth P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.197517
Subject(s) - sleep deprivation , sleep (system call) , wakefulness , privation , habituation , sleep debt , psychology , non rapid eye movement sleep , slow wave sleep , sleep onset , medicine , insomnia , circadian rhythm , electroencephalography , audiology , psychiatry , computer science , operating system
Non‐technical summary One of the proposed functions of sleep is to conserve energy. We determined the amount of energy conserved by sleep in humans, how much more energy is expended when missing a night of sleep, and how much energy is conserved during recovery sleep. Findings support the hypothesis that a function of sleep is to conserve energy in humans. Sleep deprivation increased energy expenditure indicating that maintaining wakefulness under bed‐rest conditions is energetically costly. Recovery sleep after sleep deprivation reduced energy use compared to baseline sleep suggesting that human metabolic physiology has the capacity to make adjustments to respond to the energetic cost of sleep deprivation. The finding that sleep deprivation increases energy expenditure should not be interpreted that sleep deprivation is a safe or effective strategy for weight loss as other studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation is associated with impaired cognition and weight gain.