Executive functioning is preserved in healthy young adults under acute sleep restriction

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate if a partial morning or evening sleep restriction protocol could affect executive functioning in healthy young adults. Methods: Participants were assigned to one of three groups: control (n=18), in which participants maintained their habitual sleep/wake cycle; morning restriction (n=17), in which volunteers terminated sleep approximately three hours earlier than the usual on the experimental night, and evening restriction (n=13), in which volunteers initiated sleep approximately three hours later than the usual on the experimental night. On the day of the experiment, they performed the Stroop Test, the Go-NoGo Test and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results: When compared to the control group, neither morning nor evening sleep-restricted individuals displayed any significant deficits in: a) selective attention as assessed by the interference index (H=3.38;p=0.18) and time to performed the interference card (H=2.61; p=0.27) on the Stroop test; b) motor response inhibition as assessed by number of false alarms (H=0.8;p=0.67) on the Go-NoGo Test; and c) in decision-making as assessed by total won (H=2.64; p=0.26) and number of selected advantageous cards (H=4.43; p=0.11) on the IGT. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the ability to pay attention, inhibit a motor response and make decisions is preserved following approximately 3 hours of sleep restriction, regardless of its timing (in the morning or in the evening).

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Executive functioning is preserved in healthy young adults under acute sleep restriction ; volume:11 ; number:03 ; year:2018 ; pages:152-159 ; Sleep science ; 11, Heft 03 (2018), 152-159

Contributors, Places and Time

• Contributor: Schaedler, Thais ; Santos, Jefferson Souza ; Vincenzi, Roberta Almeida ; Pereira, Sofia Isabel Ribeiro ; Louzada, Fernando Mazzilli

Further information

• DOI: 10.5935/1984-0063.20180029
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023120714161789000081
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:24 AM CEST