Effects of 48 hours of continuous work and sleep loss on sustained performance

Abstract

Abstract : The synthetic-work approach was employed in an investigation of the decrements in performance produced by a 48-hour period of continuous work and sleep loss, and the recovery of performance from these decrements as a result of 24 hours of rest and recovery. Ten Navy and Air Force ROTC cadets worked the tasks of a multiple-task performance (MTP) battery 12 hours a week (in three, 4-hour sessions) during a 4-week training period. Subsequently, they were required to work 2 days according to a 4-4-4-12 schedule, work 48 hours continuously, observe 24 hours of rest and recovery, and finally, work 2 additional days on a 4-4-4-12 schedule. Performance during the 48 hours of continuous work was greatly influenced by the circadian rhythm. The first performance decrements occurred after approximately 18 hours of work; during the early morning hours of the first night, average performance decreased to approximately 82% of baseline performance. During the first half of the second day of work, performance improved to about 90% of baseline, but decreased again during the night to approximately 67% of baseline. All measures of performance indicated that the recovery of performance was complete (to baseline levels) following the 24-hour period of rest and recovery. (Author)