This was the leading theory on the deaths from exposure of the Ranger students training in Florida two years ago. The implication is that the brain chemistry of memory maybe related to the bodies thermo-regulation function. When body temperature is unable to reset close to normal within a certain time frame memory impairment may occur. Multiple awakenings within a normal sleep period may also impact alertness as far away as a full 24 hours. Physicians are not immune to sleeping disorders either.
Pathological sleepiness is a fact for many doctors.
Narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea strike within the ranks of physicians as well as their patients. Ignored sleep disorders are involved in poor performance and many times result in tragic consequences. As we grow older the amplitude of our internal circadian signal dampens and we tend to advance our internal clocks. Our sleep becomes more disrupted and less restorative. We have more frequent arousals and the amount of Delta sleep shrinks.