With the onset of Contest Season approaching swiftly, a young man's
thoughts turn to off-time strategy.
I found a copy of this news item among my Sweepstakes and 160 Meter
Contest notes from long ago. These were found in the _Columbus (Ohio)
Dispatch_, 3 January 1981, page B-9. Perhaps someone can update us with
the state of the "sleep science" art?
HEADLINE: "Staying Up Can Be Better Than A Nap"
"CINCINNATI (AP) - University of Cincinnati sleep researchers have found
that a little sleep can be worse than none at all, and that sleep
deprivation results in a sharp decline in mental ability - no surprise
to any student who has studied all night and then slept through an exam.
"'A college student who wants to catch two hours of sleep would be better
off staying awake,' said UC researcher Roger Rosa, who studied the effect
of sleep deprivation on 12 volunteers.
"At one point, Rosa's subjects went two nights without sleep. Then, after
a two-hour nap, they performed worse on reaction and memory tests than
they did when they had been awake for 64 hours, he said.
"After four hours' sleep, they did just as poorly. After six hours,
they did better; after eight hours, they had recovered, Rosa said.
<<Some anecdotal text removed>>
"Rosa said he concluded that, in general, a person can recover from
sleep deprivation with eight hours of sleep."
So, if you were planning to nap during CQWW or SS, maybe it would be
better to watch a little "Moose Water Polo" on late-night ESPN instead!
73,
Jeff Maass (jmaass@freenet.columbus.oh.us) Amateur Radio K8ND
USPSA/IPSC # L-1192 NROI/CRO NW of Columbus Ohio
25000 Members in 2000!
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