May 2003

The Efects of Sleep Deprivation on Individual

Productivity
Thesis submitted to
The raduate
!olle"e of Marshall
#niversity
In partial ful$llment of the
%e&uirements for the De"ree of
Education Specialist in the
Department of 'dult and Technical
Education
(y
Sephra )* Snyder
Marshall #niversity
+untin"ton, -est .ir"inia
TABLE OF CONTENTS
)IST /0 T'()ES1111111111111111111111111*iii
'(ST%'!T111111111111111111111111111***iv
!+'PTE% 23 I4T%/D#!TI/4 T/ T+E ST#D5111111111111**2
Statement of the Problem1111111111111111111*****2
Purpose111111111111111111111111111*2
+ypothesis111111111111111111111111112 Si"ni$cance
of Study11111111111111111111**1*3 De$nition of
Terms1111111111111111111111**3
)imitations111111111111111111111111116
!+'PTE% 23 %E.IE- /0 )ITE%'T#%E1111111111111*11*7
Physiolo"ical Efects of Sleep Deprivation11111111111**1***7
Sleep Deprivation and the -or8place11111111111111*19
!+'PTE% 33 MET+/DS11111111111111111111**1***20
Sub:ects1111111111111111111111111**1*20
Instruments111111111111111111111111*120
Desi"n11111111111111111111111111*122
Procedures1111111111111111111111111***22 Data
'nalysis111111111111111111111111**22
!+'PTE% 63 %ES#)TS11111111111111111111*11*23
Demo"raphic data111111111111111111111**123
!orrelations (et;een Predictin" .ariables1111111111**11*26
Predictions of Productivity from Independent .ariables1111*111**26
!+'PTE% 73 DIS!#SSI/411111111111111111111127
)imitations1111111111111111111111111*29
%ecommendations111111111111111111111*1*2<
Implications for the 0ield111111111111111111**1*2<
%E0E%E4!ES11111111111111111111111111***20
'PPE4DI= '11111111111111111111111111****23
'PPE4DI= (11111111111111111111111111****26
'PPE4DI= !11111111111111111111111111****2>
LIST OF TABLES
Table 6*2
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'(ST%'!T
(ein" sleepy on the :ob can have a vital impact on ho; ;ell ;or8ers can do their
:ob* The study e?amines the efects of partial sleep deprivation on productivity*
It included a nonrandom sample of thirty participants, of ;hich, si?ty percent
;ere female and ei"hty percent ;ere !aucasian* 'll participants ;ere
employed and possessed a minimum of a bachelor@s de"ree*
Participants ;ere as8ed to 8eep a sleep :ournal recordin" behaviors that could
possibly afect sleep* Participants ;ere also as8ed to complete a demo"raphic
&uestionnaire and a tas8 lo" sheet* The percent of tas8s completed daily on
the tas8 lo" sheet ;as calculated to si"nify the productivity level*
The results revealed a hi"her mean productivity ratin" for individuals ;ho slept
more than nine hours* The second hi"hest mean productivity ratin" ;as for
individuals ;ho slept less than $ve hours* The t;o ne"ative correlations found
for levels of productivity included nocturnal a;a8enin"s and the selfAperception
of mood in the mornin"* This su""ests that as the number of nocturnal
a;a8enin" increase, the productivity levels decreased* It also implied that the
more an individual feels fati"ued in the mornin", the lo;er the productivity
level*
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
TO THE STUDY
Sleep is a basic necessity of life* The current 26Ahour society, ;e use precious
ni"httime hours for daytime activities* In the past century, ;e have reduced the
avera"e sleep time by 20 percent and, in the past 27 years, added a month to
the avera"e annual ;or8 time B4ational Sleep 0oundation, 2CCCD* The sleep
habits of society has chan"ed but the bodies of individuals have not*
Sleep problems have become a modern epidemic that is ta8in" a toll on
individual bodies and minds* The 4ational Sleep 0oundation B4S0D conducted a
allup Poll in March 2002 ;hich loo8ed at the relationship bet;een 'mericansE
lifestyles, sleep habits and sleep problems* 'ccordin" to the poll, the ma:ority of
'merican adults B>3FD do not "et the recommended ei"ht hours of sleep needed
for "ood health, safety, and optimum performance, in fact, nearly oneAthird
B32FD report sleepin" less than seven hours each ;ee8ni"ht*
The 4S0 poll revealed, due in part because our society has become a 26Ahour
operation, many adults say they no; spend more time at ;or8 and less time
sleepin" B60F vs* 3<FD* More than oneAthird B3<FD responded that they are
;or8in" $fty hours or more a ;ee8*
/ne in $ve adults B20FD are so sleepy durin" the day that it interferes ;ith
daily activities a fe; days a ;ee8 or more B4ational Sleep 0oundation, 2002D*
The penalty of sleepAdeprived employees is si"ni$cant distress or impairment
in social, occupational, or other important areas of functionin"*
The 4ational !ommission on Sleep Disorders reported that decreased
productivity and accidents in the ;or8place cost the nation G270 billion a year*
' revie; of literature uncovered research sho;in" that rotatin" shifts and sleep
deprivation lead to mista8es, dips in attention, delayed reactions, accidents in
the ;or8place, crashes on the road;ays, reduced productivity and
diHculties in communication B4ational Sleep
0oundation, 2CCCD*
Statement of the Problem
The 4ational Sleep 0oundation survey concluded that ;or8ers estimate about a
30 percent decline in the &uality and &uantity of their ;or8 ;hen they are
sleepy* 'bout a &uarter of the ;or8force B29 percentD report they are sleepy at
;or8 t;o or more days each ;ee8* 5oun" people Ba"e 2< to 2CD seem to be the
sleepiest I 60 percent of them report that they are sleepy at ;or8 at least t;ice
a ;ee8* Those same youn" people indicated that 22 percent of them have been
late to ;or8 because of sleepiness, ;hile the overall total is 26 percent*
(ein" sleepy on the :ob, ;hether the cause is simple sleep deprivation or an
undia"nosed or untreated sleep disorder, can have a vital impact on ho; ;ell
;or8ers can do their :ob* 0or e?ample, ni"htAshift ;or8ers have poorer daytime
sleep, reduced ni"htAtime alertness and performance, and an increased accident
rate* In addition to numerous health problems there is a substantial cost to the
economy in terms of decreased eHciency and productivity B'rendt, 2002D* The
cost of sleepinessArelated accidents can vary considerably, but in "eneral, the
estimated total cost of such accidents per year in the #nited States is G2> billion
and G<0 billion ;orld;ide BMooreAEde, 2CC3D* Puro!e
The purpose of this study is to determine ;hat efects, if any, mild sleep
deprivation has on productivity, ;hich in turn efects the ;or8place* The
researcher is speci$cally interested in the number of nocturnal a;a8enin"s and
selfAperception of mood in the mornin" and its correlation to productivity levels*
H"othe!#!
'lthou"h the revie; of literature revealed a discrepancy, the ma:ority of articles
describe partial sleep deprivation Bsleepin" less than 7 hours in one 26Ahour
periodD as havin" ne"ative
efects on co"nitive, behavioral, physiolo"ical, and emotional measures* 0rom
this information it is derived that co"nitive, behavioral, physiolo"ical, and
emotional measures ;ill afect productivity* Therefore, it is hypothesiJed that
partial sleep deprivation and productivity have a ne"ative correlation*
Productivity is de$ned as the percent of tas8s completed daily on the tas8 lo"
sheet*
S#$n#%&an&e of the !tu'"
The si"ni$cance of this study is that it afects all ;al8s of life* Sleep loss
8no;s no boundaries* It cuts across all cultural, social, economic, reli"ious,
educational, ethnic, racial, "ender and a"e lines*
Millions of 'mericans are suferin" from daytime sleepiness so pervasive that it
interferes ;ith their daily activities, maintains Thomas %oth, health and science
advisor, 4ational Sleep 0oundation B4S0D* KThis trend in daytime sleepiness
should raise concerns amon" parents, health care professionals, educators,
safety e?perts, and employers* )ac8 of sleep and sleep problems can have
serious, lifeAthreatenin" conse&uences Las ;ell asM a si"ni$cant impact on
productivityK B4ational Sleep 0oundation, 2002D*
Sleep loss is an issue that everyone should be a;are of* -hether you are an
employer loo8in" out for the safety of your employees or a mother concerned
for the ;elfare, "ro;th, and development of your child* -hether you, your
relative, or your friend sufers from sleep loss, it is an issue that is lin8ed to
every aspect of your life* De%n#t#on of term!
Terms in this study are de$ned as the follo;in"3
Sleep3 a natural and periodic state of rest durin" ;hich
consciousness of the ;orld is suspended 'dult3 a fully
developed person from maturity on;ard
Partial sleep deprivation
3 sleepin" less than 7 hours in one 26Ahour period
ShortAterm total sleep deprivation
3 no sleep for 26A6< hours
)on"Aterm total sleep deprivation
3 no sleep for more than 6< hours
4octurnal a;a8enin"s
3 ;a8in" up durin" a period of sleep
L#m#tat#on!
's ;ith all correlational studies, the $ndin"s from the current study cannot reveal
causal relationships bet;een sleep deprivation and personal productivity*
'nother 8ey limitation has been identi$ed* It is the ;illin"ness of the
participants to complete the sleep :ournal and the tas8 lo" sheet* (ecause this
study is not a controlled e?perimental desi"n, some participants may for"et to
8eep accurate trac8 of their sleep habits or tas8 lo" sheet* This limitation may
have a ne"ative afect on the results of the study*
CHAPTER
(
RE)IE* OF LITERATUR
E
Ph"!#olo$#&al E+e&t! of Slee
Der#,at#on
+o; an individual responds to sleep loss, ;hether it is partial deprivation
Bsleepin" less than 7 hours in one 26Ahour periodD, shortAterm total sleep
deprivation Bno sleep for 26A6< hoursD, and lon"Aterm total sleep deprivation Bno
sleep for more than 6< hoursD can vary* Pressman, 2CC9 indicates that sleep
deprivation has been sho;n to impact ne"atively on a ;ide ran"e of co"nitive,
behavioral, physiolo"ical, and emotional measures* 0or e?ample, mood chan"es
includin" irritability, fati"ue, diHculty in concentration, and disorientation to
shortAterm memory alterations due to decreased attention, concentration lapses,
and decreased motivation* Illusions, hallucinations, visual misperceptions, and
paranoid ideation are also observed ;ith sleep loss*
Similar results ;ere published by (in8s B2CCCD* The study concluded that the
person deprived of total sleep e?periences ne"ative mood, sleepiness, fati"ue,
and decline in alertness and performance* Some sleepAdeprived individuals
report visual hallucinations or distortions and feelin"s of paranoia* Systematic
studies of total sleep deprivation have revealed some temporary co"nitive
de$cits but no permanent efects*
%oss B2C>7D conducted a study on e?tended total sleep deprivation, a minimum
of ei"ht days, ;hich consistently discovered mild neurolo"ical si"ns, such as
myopia, tremor, slurred speech, and slu""ish corneal reNe?es* %oss B2C>7D
detected neurolo"ical $ndin"s that included a hyperactive "a" reNe?,
hyperactive deep tendon reNe?es, and an increased sensitivity to pain* The
autonomic nervous system responses to total sleep deprivation produced
chan"es in body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate*
The ma:ority of research has found a decrease in body temperature* +o;ever,
the conclusions about blood pressure, heart rate, and
respiratory rate vary from remainin" constant to a sli"ht increase
or decrease*
%oss B2C>7D discovered the most si"ni$cant efect of sleep loss is the
physiolo"ical sleepiness, or the tendency to fall asleep ;hen there is a lac8
of stimuli* Sleepiness becomes e?treme after the loss of a sin"le ni"ht of
sleep* -ithout competin" stimuli, an individual lac8in" a ni"ht@s sleep can
fall asleep ;ithin 2 or 3 minutes the ne?t day* This can cause dramatic
afects on productivity* 'fter about 6< hours ;ithout sleep, micro sleeps
become increasin"ly more common even ;hen participants are physically
active* 's sleepiness increases, an individual must increase efort to
maintain a stable level of performance*
The interpretation of human sleepAdeprivation studies is diHcult because their
$ndin"s have been inconsistent* .an +elder and %adoms8i B2C<CD reported
periods of sleep deprivation up to 92 hours had no efect on stren"th or motor
performance, e?cept for reducin" time to e?haustion* The performance of
passive, borin" tests of co"nitive ability I such as simple tests of vi"ilance
Bstarin" at a computer screen loo8in" for si"nalsD I is often disrupted by even a
fe; hours of sleep reduction Billber", 2CC>DO ;hereas active, demandin" tests of
co"nitive ability are lar"ely immune to disruption by even lon" period of sleep
deprivation* Percival, +orne, and Tilley B2C<3D found that sub:ects deprived of
sleep for one ni"ht displayed no de$cits on a battery of abstract reasonin",
spatial relations, lo"ical reasonin", and comprehension test that ;ere ;ritten
under demandin" time constraints*
'n increasin" ;or8place for many is the military* oh, Ton", )im, )o;, P )ee
B2002D studied the efects of sleep deprivation in the military* 'ccordin" to the
authors, the study ;as conducted because of the Qneed for the development of
reliable investi"ative techni&ues to study ho; sleep deprivation afects
performance, ;hich, in turn, could provide ideas for the formulation of measures
to reduce sleepArelated accidents*R The authors hypothesiJe that Qthe
detrimental efects of sleep deprivation on performance are apparently related
linearly to the
amount of sleep loss, such that the lon"er the duration of sleep deprivation, the
more pronounced the disturbance*
R
The study tested the efects of sleep deprivation on productivity and
performance usin" the rotary pursuit test* Durin" the rotary pursuit test the
participants ;ere as8ed to place a stylus tip in contact ;ith the rotatin" tar"et
and maintain contact at all times* The sleepAdeprived "roup performed better
than the control "roupO ho;ever, there ;as no si"ni$cant interaction found*
Trac8in" performance improved throu"hout the day for both "roups*
Performance declined si"ni$cantly durin" the second day of the study re"ardless
of the sleep condition Boh, Ton", )im, )o;, P )ee, 2002D*
Slee Der#,at#on an' the
*or-la&e
Millions of 'mericans are suferin" from daytime sleepiness so pervasive that it
interferes ;ith their daily activities, maintains Thomas %oth, health and science
advisor, 4ational Sleep 0oundation B4S0D* KThis trend in daytime sleepiness
should raise concerns amon" parents, health care professionals, educators,
safety e?perts, and employers* )ac8 of sleep and sleep problems can have
serious, lifeAthreatenin" conse&uences Las ;ell asM a si"ni$cant impact on
productivityK B4ational Sleep 0oundation, 2002D*
Many people suferin" from routine sleep loss are not even a;are of it, and many
;ho do realiJe they are not "ettin" enou"h sleep are not a;are of ;hat it is
costin" them* Sleep loss creates sleepiness, ;hich can be associated ;ith
decrements in vi"ilance, reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination,
information processin", and decisionAma8in"* -ith increasin" sleepiness,
individuals demonstrate poorer performance despite increased efort, and they
may report indiference re"ardin" the outcome of their performance B(ehavioral
Medicine, 2CC>D* (ehavior Medicine illustrates that not "ettin" enou"h sleep
afects the person in several ;ays3
2* Problem !ol,#n$ !-#ll! are #ma#re'* Sleep loss noticeably
impairs our ability to comprehend rapidly chan"in" situations,
increases the li8elihood of distraction,
ma8es us thin8 more ri"idly and less Ne?ibly, and reduces our
ability to produce innovative solutions to problems*
2* Commun#&at#on !-#ll! !u+er* Sleep loss reduces the ;ords in
vocabulary both verbally and in ;ritin"*
3* Learn#n$ an' memor" !u+er* Sleep loss diminishes scores on
tests of memory, verbal Nuency and overall creativity*
6* .otor !-#ll! are #ma#re'* Studies sho; there is a direct
connection bet;een sleepiness and impaired handAeye coordination*
The de"ree of impairment has led researchers to compare it in severity
to drun8enness*
#ntil recently, sleep deprivation in the ;or8place ;as unreco"niJed, althou"h
supervisors re"ularly see its efects $rstAhand3 aD superior performin" employees
turnin" in mediocre ;or8, ine?plicably movin" throu"h their :obs at half speedO
bD lo;er morale, measured by barometers such as tardiness, absenteeism and
an increased number of "rievancesO and cD everAmountin" sic8 leave re&uests
and, in some instances, increased disability claims B%omani, 2002D*
Sleep deprivation causes individuals to feel so sleepy durin" the day that their
concentration and performance sufer* 0or e?ample, sleep deprivation often leads
to an increase in the incidence of motor vehicle accidents* /ne study found that
individuals suferin" from fati"ue due to sleep apnea are si? more li8ely to have a
motor vehicle accident than persons ;ho are not suferin" from fati"ue* They
also are more disposed to industrial accidents than nonA apnea ;or8ers
B(onvallet, n*d*D* 'ccordin" to the medical :ournal !hest B2000D, the bill to
society due to loss of productivity, industrial accidents and medical bills o;in" to
sleep deprivation is G>0 billion per year* This is a "ood reason to shed li"ht on
the silent thief of our ;or8forceEs vitality* -ith more than 20 million people in
the #nited States suferin" from sleep deprivation, most una;are they are
suferin" from it, mana"ement is in a position to perform a public service of
tremendous value and, secondarily, increase productivity by educatin" its
personnel on the issue B%omani,
2002D*
/ne thin" is for certain, that chronic sleep loss may lead to deterioration
of mood and motivationO decrease in attention, ener"y, and concentrationO and
an increase in fati"ue, irritability, tension, an?iety, and depression* Individuals
suferin" from sleep deprivation may have an increased incidence of
psychophysical problems such as stomach problems, menstrual irre"ularities,
headaches, and increased muscle tension B4ational Sleep 0oundation, 2CCCD*
'ny one of these conse&uences of sleep deprivation can seriously afect
productivity and performance*
Chater
/
.etho'
!
Sub0e&t!
4onrandom participants in this study ;ere selected from one "raduate level
course at Marshall #niversity, employees of 'ndr? )aboratories, 'merican
Electric Po;er, -esternA Southern )ife Insurance, and several other
or"aniJations in +untin"ton, -.* The population contained appro?imately 30
employees* The population ;ill be both male and female participants from
various locations around the +untin"ton, -. area* ' variety of a"es, race,
marria"e status, socioeconomic bac8"rounds, and education levels are studied
as they appear in the population* In!trument!
Three instruments ;ere used to collect data* The $rst ;as a demo"raphic
&uestionnaire created by the researcher* The &uestionnaire consists of seven
&uestions BPlease see appendi? 'D* ender, raceS ethnicity, marria"e status,
hi"hest educational level completed, occupation, number of years in
occupational $eld, and number of miles driven to commute to ;or8 ;ill be
deduced from the &uestionnaire* The content ;as chosen based on a revie; of
related literature* It ;as then evaluated and approved by a panel of e?perts* '
demo"raphic &uestionnaire is bein" used to see ho; closely the sample
replicates the 8no;n population and to allo; analysis of subA "roups of those
respondin" to the survey*
Sleep deprivation ;as measured usin" a second instrument, a sleep :ournal*
'ccordin" to
P* (ritJ, Pro"ram Director for the 4ational Sleep 0oundation Bpersonal
communication, Tanuary 22, 2003D the author and publisher of the 4ational
Sleep 0oundation B4S0D sleep diary is the 4ational Sleep 0oundation* It is a
public education brochure and has not been tested for reliability or validity* It
;as, ho;ever, revie;ed and approved by sleep scientists BPlease see
appendi? (D* This instrument ;as chosen because it allo;s the researcher to
measure levels of sleep deprivation in an unobtrusive manner*
The $nal instrument is a tas8 lo" sheet developed by the researcher produced
from a revie; of related literature* The tas8 lo" sheet ;as then evaluated and
approved by a panel of e?perts BPlease see appendi? !D* It ;as used to measure
productivity* Participants list activities they ;ish to accomplish for each day of
the study* 't the end of the day, the participant chec8 the appropriate bo? to
si"nify if the activity ;as completed or not completed* The percent of tas8s
completed daily si"ni$es the productivity level* De!#$n
The study ;as &ualitative and selfAreportin"* The correlational predictive study
included 30 nonrandom participants* The participant@s responses on the sleep
:ournal ;ere calculated to determine if partial sleep deprivation has occurred*
Partial sleep deprivation ;as considered sleepin" less than 7 hours in a 26Ahour
period* The tas8 lo" sheet ;as used to identify the productivity level of the
participants* ' Pearson@s Product Moment ;as used to conclude if a ne"ative
correlation e?ists bet;een sleep deprivation and productivity* Pro&e'ure!
Thirty participants, from one "raduate level course at Marshall #niversity,
employees of 'ndr? )aboratories, 'merican Electric Po;er, -esternASouthern
)ife Insurance, and other or"aniJations located in +untin"ton, -. too8 part in
the study* Participants ;ere as8ed to 8eep a sleep :ournal recordin" behaviors
that could possibly afect sleep, such as, ;hen they ;a8e up, "o to sleep, ho;
many times durin" the ni"ht they ;o8e up, ho; they felt ;hen they ;o8e and
the number of hours slept durin" the ni"ht* This ;as conducted for the time
period of t;o ;ee8s* This information "enerated ;hether a participant has
sufered from partial sleep deprivation*
Participants ;ere also as8ed to complete a demo"raphic &uestionnaire and a
tas8 lo" sheet* The tas8 lo" sheet listed activities they ;ish to accomplish for
each day of the study and ;hether or not the activity ;as completed or not
completed* The percent of tas8s completed daily on the tas8 lo" sheet ;as
calculated to si"nify the productivity level*
Data Anal"!#!
'fter all instrumentation ;as collected from participants, the researcher
converted &ualitative data on demo"raphic &uestionnaire and sleep :ournal to
numerical symbols* Scores ;ere obtained for each variable* Productivity ;as
calculated by the percent of tas8s completed per day on the tas8 lo" sheet* 'll
data ;as entered into SPSS soft;are pro"ram* ' correlation coeHcient ;as
computed usin" the Pearson@s product moment* The correlation coeHcient ;as
interpreted to determine if the prediction study supports the hypothesis that
partial sleep deprivation and productivity have a ne"ative correlation* '
comparison of means ;as ran to compare the mean productivity levels of
various amounts of hours sleep ac&uired in a 26 hour period*
Chater
1
Re!ult!
Demo$rah#& 'ata
/f the thirty participants, 22 ;ere male B60FD and 2< ;ere female B>0FD*
ThirtyAseven percent B39FD of all participants ;ere sin"le Bmeanin" never been
marriedD, 20F ;ere sin"le Bmeanin" livin" ;ith a partnerD, 39F ;ere married,
and 2>F ;ere divorced* 's re"ards to education, <F had attended or ;ere
attendin" colle"e, 70F had "raduated colle"e, and 62F had attended "raduate
school or more* Si?teen percent of the participants ;ere 'fricanS'frican
'merican, 6F ;ere 'sianS'sian 'merican, and <0F ;ere !aucasianSEuropean
'merican*
The participant@s occupations included a ;ide variety of areas Bsee Table
6*2D*
Table 121 Distribution of Participant@s
/ccupations*
/ccupation 0re&uency
'cademic 'dvisor 2 'ccountant 2
'dministrative 'ssistant 2 (illin" !ler8 2
(oo88eeper 2 !ase Mana"er 2 !oach 2
!ounselor 2 Director 3 Director of Student
Services 2 Emer"ency Inspector 2 raduate
'ssistant 3 Instructor 3 Insurance Salesman
2 Music Director 2 Pastor 2 Pharmaceutical
%epresentative 2 Sales !ler8 2 Student 2
-ei"ht -atcher )eader 2
Correlat#on! amon$ the re'#&t#n$
,ar#able!
0irst, the intercorrelations bet;een the predictin" variables ;ere tested to
avoid the possibility of multicollinearity* Pearson@s correlations amon" the
predictors Bnumber of hours slept, number of times ;o8en up durin" the ni"ht,
and feelin"s of fati"ueD ;ere computed Bsee Table 6*2D* The si"ni$cant
correlations ran"ed bet;een I0*2 and 0*3* This ran"e is considered free of
multicollinearity, accordin" to Tabachnic8 and 0idell@s B2CC>D criteria* Table
12(* Person@s !orrelations 'mon" the Predictin" .ariables* Bnumber of hours
slept,
number of times ;o8en up durin" the ni"ht, and feelin"s of
fati"ueD
2 2 3
2 +ours slept UUU A*263VV A*2><VV 2 ';a8enin"s UUU *302VV 3
0eelin"s UUU
VVpW*02 4otes3 +ours slept I number of hours slept ta8en from the sleep lo"O
';a8enin"s I number of times a;o8en durin" ni"ht ta8en from sleep lo"O
0eelin"s I sub:ective assessment of feelin"s of fati"ue*
Pre'#&t#on! of ro'u&t#,#t" from #n'een'ent
,ar#able!
The mean productivity levels ;ere determined by a Pearson@s correlation* The
decision ;as made to cate"oriJe the participants in the follo;in" $ve "roups3 less
than 7 hours, > to >*C hours, 9 to 9*C hours, < to <*C hours and C or more hours of
sleep* The hi"hest level of productivity ;as produced by participants ;ho slept
more than C hours* The second hi"hest productivity level ;as produced by
participants ;ho slept less than 7 hours Bsee Table 6*3D* Table 12/* Means
!omparisons 'mon" Productivity )evels*
+ours slept F of Productivity less
than 7 9<*<22 > to >*C 93*270 9 to
9*C 92*C2C < to <*C 9<*260 C or
more <6*C>9
CHAPTER 3
DISCUSSIO
N
's anticipated, the demo"raphic &uestionnaire determined that the sample
replicates the 8no;n population of +untin"ton, -.* It also allo;ed analysis of
subA"roups of those respondin" to the survey* ' mean comparison ;as
performed for the subA"roups of marital status, education level, race, and
"ender*
The productivity levels for marital status ;ere evenly distributed* The results
imply that re"ardless if an individual is sin"le, livin" ;ith someone, married,
separated, ;ido;ed, or divorced does not profoundly afect productivity levels*
Those participants currently attendin" colle"e ;ere found to have a
substantially hi"her productivity level* This could be due, in part, to the idea
that colle"e students have a "reater number of immediate deadlines* In other
;ords, besides the tas8 of ;or8 and home life, colle"e students have strict
syllabi to follo; ;ith impendin" deadlines* They may or"aniJe their time better
to complete the tas8s on time, ;hich ;ould account for the considerably hi"her
productivity level*
'sianS'sian 'mericans ;ere found to have a hi"her productivity level
compared to 'fricanS'frican 'mericans and !aucasianSEuropean 'mericans*
/ne e?planation may be the impeccable reputation of the 'sian ;or8 ethic*
'sian ;or8ers are 8no;n to be hard ;or8ers, have cohesive family units, value
education, and respect authority* Productivity levels may be enhanced by
these characteristics*
The productivity levels for "ender ;ere evenly distributed* Men and ;omen
"enerated very similar production rates* The results indicate that "ender does
not si"ni$cantly afect levels of productivity*
The intercorrelations bet;een the predictin" variables ;ere tested,
usin" a Pearson@s
correlation, to avoid the possibility of multicollinearity* 'ccordin" to Tabachnic8
and 0idell
@
s B2CC>D criteria, the researcher determined that the study ;as free of
multicollinearity*
The researcher investi"ated the impact of partial sleep deprivation Bless than $ve
hours of sleepD on the aspect of personal productivity* The decision ;as made to
cate"oriJe the participants in the follo;in" $ve "roups3 less than 7 hours, > to
>*C hours, 9 to 9*C hours, < to
<*C hours and C or more hours of sleep* The hi"hest level of productivity ;as
produced by participants ;ho slept more than C hours B<6*C>9F productiveD*
The second hi"hest productivity level ;as produced by participants ;ho slept
less than 7 hours B9<*<22F productiveD* The third hi"hest level ;as produced by
participants ;ho slept < to <*C hours B9<*260F productiveD* The lo;est levels of
productivity ;ere recorded for participants ;ho slept > to 9*C hours of sleep*
The pattern of $ndin"s su""est that to have the hi"hest level of productivity,
that a participant must receive at least C hours of sleep per ni"ht* If he or she is
not "oin" to receive at least C hours of sleep, then they are better of sleepin"
less than 7 hours per ni"ht*
The mean comparison bet;een partial sleep deprivation Bless than 7 hours of sleep
per ni"htD and productivity levels are not in a"reement ;ith previous studies Be*"*
Pressman, 2CC9D* Similar results ;ere published by (in8s B2CCCD* The study
concluded that the person must be deprived of total sleep to e?periences ne"ative
mood, sleepiness, fati"ue, and a decline in alertness and performance* The ability to
ac&uire a fe; hours of sleep sho;ed no decline in alertness or performance*
'nother study su""ests that ;ith increasin" sleepiness, individuals demonstrate
poorer performance despite increased efort, and they may report indiference
re"ardin" the outcome of their performance B(ehavioral Medicine, 2CC>D*
'ccordin" to our study, the increase of sleepiness Bfe;er hours sleptD sho;ed a
decline in productivity B;ith the e?ception of individuals ;ho slept nine hours or
moreD*
T;o ne"ative correlations ;ere found for levels of productivity* These included
nocturnal a;a8enin"s and the selfAperception of mood in the mornin"* The
Pearson
@
s correlations su""est that as the number of nocturnal a;a8enin" increase, the
productivity levels decreased* It also implied that the more an individual feels
fati"ued in the mornin", the lo;er the productivity level*
The ne"ative correlations found for nocturnal a;a8enin"s and productivity are
consistent ;ith previous studies* 'rendt B2002D discovered that ni"htAshift
;or8ers that have poorer daytime sleep have reduced ni"htAtime alertness and
performance, and an increased accident rate* 4octurnal a;a8enin"s may hinder
individual@s ability to obtain ade&uate sleep* This in turn can produce a
conse&uence of lo;er production ratin"s* L#m#tat#on!
' 8ey limitation is the variations of occupations and the assessment of personal
productivity* (ecause of the diferent occupations, individuals have diferent
tas8 lists, ;hich is a sub:ective ;ay to measure productivity* The solution ;ould
be a study that included participants of one particular occupation that had a
more reliable Bob:ectiveD measure of productivity*
' second constraint of the data collection process ;as an environmental issue*
' fe; days into the sleep deprivation study, si?ty percent of the participants
lived in a re"ion, that sufered a severe ice storm* Most participants ;ere
;ithout electricity for several days, some even ;ee8s* ' number of participants
;ere forced to leave their homes to see8 shelter* /thers could not return to
;or8 for several days* Most participants commented that this natural disaster
did afect their sleep habits as ;ell as their tas8 lists*
The $nal ;ea8ness of the current study is that due to a relatively lo; rate of
participation in the survey* The researcher can only conclude that the $ndin"s
are relevant to adults ;ho are
employed and possess a colle"e education* Despite this restriction, the
mar"inally si"ni$cant correlations bet;een sleep and productivity hi"hli"ht
the importance of the issue*
Re&ommen'at#on! for future
!tu'#e!
If studyin" the issue of partial sleep deprivation in the future, a more
comprehensive study should be conducted usin" a lon"itudinal desi"n* The
study should consist of a lar"er sample of participants over a lon"er period of
time* It ;ould be to the advanta"e of the researcher to conduct the study for
a minimum of one to t;o months* This len"th of time ;ill allo; for a more
consistent analysis of sleep patterns*
/ther elements that should be addressed are the demo"raphics of the
participants* It ;ould be bene$cial to the researcher to 8no; the a"e of the
sub:ects and not only the marital status, but ;hether or not the individual
has children*
The last recommendation, possibly the most crucial to the study, is to observe
individuals that have one particular occupation in common* This ;ould allo; for
a more reliable and ob:ective measure of productivity* Iml#&at#on!
This study illustrates the need for employers to be a;are of ho; productivity is
afected by sleep deprivation and fati"ue* (ein" sleepy on the :ob, ;hether the
cause is simple sleep deprivation or an undia"nosed or untreated sleep
disorder, can have a vital impact on ho; ;ell ;or8ers can do their :ob*
/ne in $ve adults B20FD are so sleepy durin" the day that it interferes ;ith daily
activities a fe; days a ;ee8 or more B4ational Sleep 0oundation, 2002D* This not
only afects employers and the ;or8force but individuals and their families and
friends* Individuals ;ho sufer from sleep loss e?perience impaired problem
solvin", communication, and motor s8ills as ;ell as a de$ciency in learnin" and
memory* These indicators can have a lastin" efect on
personal relationships, educational endeavors, and personal
"ro;th*
REFERENCES
'merican Psychiatric 'ssociation* B2CC6D* Dia"nostic and statistical
manual of mental disorders B6
th
ed*D* -ashin"ton, D!3 'uthor*
'rendt, T* B2002D* )ancet, 37<, CCC*
(in8s, P* * B2CCCD* ShortAterm total sleep deprivations does not selectively
impair hi"her cortical functionin"* Sleep, 22 B3D, 32<A333*
(onvallet, S* Bn*d*D /bstructive sleep apnea* Eastside sleep disorders
center at overla8e hospital medical center* %etrieved 'pril 22, 2003, from
http3SS;;;*overla8ehospital*or"SesdcSarticle2*htm
!ars8adon, M* '* B2CC9D* 4ormal human sleep3 'n overvie;* Sleep, 22 B3D, 2<<A
2C6*
!hervin, %*D* B'u"ust, 2000D* Sleepiness, fati"ue, tiredness, and lac8 of ener"y
in obstructive sleep apnea* !hest, 22<, 392A39C
!ochrane, * B2002D* The efects of sleep deprivation* 0(I )a; Enforcement
(ulletin, 90 B9D, 22A27*
!ulebras, '* B2CC>D* Sleep disorders* 4e;ton, M'3 (utter;orthA
+einemann*
+artmann, E* )* B2C93D* The functions of sleep* 4e; 5or8 !ity, 453 5ale #niversity
Press*
oh, .* +*, Ton", T* 5*, )im, !*, )o;, E* !*, and )ee, )* X* B2002D* Efects of one
ni"ht of sleep deprivation on hormone pro$les and performance eHciency*
Military Medicine*
Institute for (rain %esearch B2C>7D* Sleep mechanisms* 4e; 5or8 !ity,
45*
Mc!arhty, M* E* B2CC9D* Decreased attentional responsivity durin" sleep
deprivation3 /rientin" response latency, amplitude, and habituation* Sleep, 20
B2D, 227A222*
Meyer, %* * B2CC>D* The clinician@s handboo8* 4eedham +ei"hts, M'3 Simon and
Schuster*
MooreAEde, M* B2CC3D* The t;entyAfour hour society* %eadin", M'3
'ddisonA-esley Publishin" !ompany*
4ational Sleep 0oundation* (rouchures* -ashin"ton,
D!*
/rem, T* B2C<0D* Physiolo"y in sleep* 4e; 5or8 !ity, 453 'cademic Press*
Pinel, T* P* T* B2CCCD* (iopsycholo"y B6
th
ed*D* 4eedham +ei"hts, M'3 'llyn
and (acon*
Pressman, M* %* B2CC9D* #nderstandin" sleep* -ashin"ton,
D!*
%omani, P* 4* B2002D* ' primer on sleep apnea for supervisors*
Supervision
,
>2
B>D, 22A26*
%ose8ind, M*%*, ander, P*+*, re"ory, X*(*, Smith, %*M*, Miller, D*)*, /yun", %*,
-ebbon, )*)* P Tohnson, T*M* B2CC>D* Mana"in" fati"ue in operational settin"s 23
Physiolo"ical considerations and countermeasures* (ehavioral Medicine,
22B;interD3 279A2>7*
Tabachnic8, (** P 0idell, )*S* B2CC>D* #sin" multivariate statistics* 4e;
5or83 +arper !ollins !olle"e Publishers*
-ebb, -* (* B2C97D* Sleep3 The "entle tyrant* En"le;ood !lifs, 4e;
Tersey*
-eitJman, E* D* B2C<2D* 'dvances in sleep research B.ol* 9D* 4e; 5or8 !ity, 453
SP Medical P Scienti$c (oo8s*
APPENDI4 A
Demo$rah#& Sur,e"
Instructions3 Please circle the most appropriate ans;er for each
&uestion*
2* ender3
'*male
(* female
2* 're you3
'* Sin"le, meanin" never been married D* Separated
(* Sin"le, livin" ;ith a partner E* -ido;ed
!* Married 0* Divorced
3* Education level Bplease circle the hi"hest level
completedD3
'* )ess than hi"h school "raduate D* raduated colle"e
(* +i"h school "raduate E* raduate school or more
!* 'ttended or attendin" colle"e 0* Technical schoolS/ther
6* %aceS Ethnicity3
'* 'fricanS 'frican 'merican
(* 'sianS 'sian 'merican
!* !aucasianS European 'merican
D* +ispanicS +ispanic 'merican
E* 4ative 'merican
0* /ther BspecifyD3 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
7* -hat is your occupationsY
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
>* +o; lon" have you ;or8ed in your
occupation3
'* less than >
months (* > months to 2
year !* 2 to 3
years D* 3 to 7
years E* 7 to 20
years 0* more than 20
years
9* +o; many miles per day do you travel that is
;or8 related3
'* under 20 miles
(* 20 to 70 miles
!* 70 to 200 miles
D* 200 to 200 miles
E* more than 200 miles
APPENDI4
B
Slee 5ourna
l
0ill
out
days
2A9
belo
;
CO.PLETE IN
.ORNIN6
I ;ent
to
bed
last
ni"ht
at3
I "ot
out of
bed
this
morni
n" at3
I
;o8e
up
durin
" the
ni"ht3
B%ecord
number
of timesD
-hen
I
;o8e
up for
the
day, I
felt3
B!hec8
oneD
)ast
ni"ht
I slept
for a
total
of3
B%ecord
number
of hoursD
My
sleep
;as
distur
bed
by3
B)ist any
mental,
emotiona
l,
physical,
or
environm
ental
factors
that
afected
your
sleep,
e*"*
stress,
snorin",
physical
discomfo
rt,
temperat
ureD
Thurs
day
0eb*
20
UUUUUU
PMS'M
UUUUUU
'MSPM
UUUUUU
Times
UUU
%efreshe
d UUU
Some;h
at
%efreshe
d UUU
0ati"ued
UUUUUU
+ours
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
0riday
0eb*
22
UUUUUU
PMS'M
UUUUUU
'MSPM
UUUUUU
Times
UUU
%efreshe
d UUU
Some;h
at
%efreshe
d UUU
0ati"ued
UUUUUU
+ours
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
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UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
Satur
day
0eb*
22
UUUUUU
PMS'M
UUUUUU
'MSPM
UUUUUU
Times
UUU
%efreshe
d UUU
Some;h
at
%efreshe
d UUU
0ati"ued
UUUUUU
+ours
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
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UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
Sunda
y 0eb*
UUU
%efreshe
UUUUUUUUU
UUUUU
UUUUUUUUU
26
Tues
day
UUU
%efreshe
d
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
0eb*
27
UUUUUU
PMS'
M
UUUUUU
'MSPM
UUUUUU
Times
UUU
Some;h
at
%efreshe
d
UUUUUU
+ours
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUU
0ati"ued
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
-ed
nesd
ay
UUU
%efreshe
d
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
0eb*
2>
UUUUUU
PMS'
M
UUUUUU
'MSPM
UUUUUU
Times
UUU
Some;h
at
%efreshe
d
UUUUUU
+ours
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
27
APPENDI4 C
Ta!- Lo$ Sheet
THURSDAY7 FEB2 (8
QTo DoR 'ctivities
!omp
leted
4ot
!ompl
eted
Instructions3 Please ;rite a QTo DoR list of the activities you ;ish to accomplish
for each date belo;* 't the end of the day, please place a chec8 in the
appropriate bo? to si"nify if the activity ;as completed or not completed*
FRIDAY7 FEB2 (1
QTo DoR 'ctivities
!omp
leted
4ot
!ompl
eted
SATURDAY7 FEB2 ((
QTo DoR 'ctivities
!omp
leted
4ot
!ompl
eted