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For many North Americans, a semi-annual sleep-manipulation experiment is the
“spring forward” to daylight saving time and “fall back” to standard time. Millions of
Canadian and American records have revealed that accidents increase immediately after the
spring-forward time change, which shortens sleep (Figure 1.5-10).

Figure 1.5-10 Number of Number of
Less sleep = more accidents accidents
accidents 2800 Less sleep,
more
(a) On the Monday after the spring accidents
time change, when people lose
one hour of sleep, accidents 2700 4200
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
increased, as compared with More sleep,
fewer accidents
the Monday before. (b) In the fall,
traffic accidents normally increase 2600 4000
because of greater snow, ice, and
darkness, but they diminished
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
after the time change. (Data from 2500 3800
Coren, 1996.)
2400 3600
Monday Monday Monday Monday
before after before after
Spring time change Fall time change
(hour of sleep lost) (hour of sleep gained)
(a) (b)
Figure 1.5-11 summarizes the effects of sleep deprivation. But there is good news!
Psychologists have discovered a treatment that strengthens memory, increases concentra-
tion, boosts mood, moderates hunger, reduces obesity, fortifies the immune system, improves
school performance, and lessens the risk of fatal accidents. Even better news: The treatment
feels good, it can be self-administered, and it’s free! If you are a typical high school student, you
might feel trapped in a cycle of sleeplessness. Stress — from school and life generally — might
make adequate sleep seem like a luxury. But one night this week, try to add 15 minutes to your
sleep. Until you feel more rested and less like a zombie, try adding more sleep as often as you
can. For some additional tips on getting better-quality sleep, see Table 1.5-2.

Brain
Figure 1.5-11 Decreased ability to focus attention
How sleep deprivation and process and store memories;
affects us increased risk of depression; decreased
metabolic rate; increased cortisol;
enhanced limbic brain responses Heart
Increased risk of
to the mere sight of food; decreased high blood pressure
cortical responses—reducing
ability to resist
temptation
Stomach
Increase in the hunger-
Immune system arousing hormone,
Decreased production of ghrelin; decrease in
immune cells; increased the hunger-suppressing
risk of viral infections, hormone, leptin
such as colds
Fat cells
Increased production;
greater risk of obesity
Muscles
Joints Reduced strength;
Increased inflammation slower reaction time
and arthritis and motor learning

106 Unit 1 Biological Bases of Behavior

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