Sleep Inertia and On-Call Readiness

Abstract : The effects of sleep deprivation and chronobiological variations in performance are undoubtedly among the most pervasive limitors of human ability in all situations that require sustained periods of continuous performance and in around-the-clock work settings. These work scenarios are becoming increasingly common, often involving highly skilled and dedicated personnel as in sustained military operations, space flight preparation and launching, crisis and catastrophe management. In all these situations, the negative effects of sleep loss during sustained operations must be compared to the adverse effects of sleep inertia upon abrupt awakening from sleep due to a possible emergency. Sleep inertia defines a period of transitory hypovigilance, confusion, disorientation of behavior and impaired cognitive and behavioral performance that immediately follows awakening. Sleep inertia is one of the most serious contraindications to the use of napping during quasi-continuous operations if the individual may be required to perform complex tasks immediately after sudden awakening at unpredictable times.