The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-01
When Sleep Is Lost
BY H. ADDINGToN BRUCE

Insomniacs who torment themselves with
narrowing thoughts of the possible mental
effects of loss of sleep, should derive much
comfort from the results of some recent ex-
periments at Stanford University.
The experiments were expressly designed
to measure the influence exercised on the
mentality by prolonged wakefulness. Nine
Stanford students co-operated in them, di-
viding into two groups, each OF which, at
different periods, remained continuously
awake for nearly fifty hours.
For more than week before each wakeful
period the students were daily given various
tests of memory power, mental alertness,
Judgment, ETC. Similar tests were made dur
ing and at the close of the wakefulness period.
And in the meantime the tests were likewise
given to other students not participating in
the voluntary abstinence from sleep.
The natural supposition was that, by using
these other students as controls" the dis
turbing effects of sleeplessness would be more
readily perceived. This was not what hap
pened.
No marked loss of mental vigor was found
among those who remained awake. And, on
the other hand, there were among the con
trolls" themselves even more striking varia-
tons due to such factors as lack of interest
in the tests, eagerness to be done with them
anu " Uc 1ENc AOi pihSS CbS' =
The opinion of the experimenter, Mr.. Fl.
r.. LasIett, is that possibly the tests were not
hard enough and fifty hours of sleeplessness
too short a time to produce the expected re-
suits in the way of efficiency loss. There is
also the possibility, though, that without ap-
preciating it the tested students got some
rest even while they seemed to be fully
awake.
In Mr.. Lasett's report it is incidentally
noted THE subjects had a few momentary
Authorizations during the course of the second
night of sleeplessness." Such Authorizations,
research long ago established, are of fairly
common occurrence in states midway between
sleep and wakefulness.
But these semi-sleeping states, it has also
been established, are themselves rest-states.
And there is reason to believe that they COM
monty occur when wakefulness is unduly
prolonged.
Some years ago, to cite one instance in
proof, another university experimenter, Pro
fessor Patrick, kept three colleagues awake,
not for fifty, but for ninety hours. Being
then allowed to go to bed, they found it nee
essary to make up only from 16 to 30 per
cent of the time lost from sleep.
This suggests, of course, that though un-
aware of the fact, they got some rest during
their insomnia. And actually, as Professor
Patrick's report shows, there were times
when their answers to questions proved that,
while believing themselves awake, the SUBJ
jects of the experiments were in a semi-sleep-
ing state and dreaming.
Bearing in mind, too, Mr.. Laslett's find
ings. the probability would seem to DO that
all insomniacs benefit in some degree from
this protective mechanism of the semi-sleep
ing state. In that case they needlessly tor
ture themselves when they foresee mental col
a o% ~
And indeed, observation goes to show,
dread of insomnia's dire consequences is in
itself factor helping to prolong insomnia.
Many an insomnia enjoys a return of nor.
NAL sleep once he succeeds in banishing this
dread from his mind.