Coping with SD depends on several factors, especially aging and gender. Studies on its effects on more demanding cognitive functions are lacking. Partial SD is found to influence attention, especially vigilance. First and foremost, total SD impairs attention and working memory, but it also affects other functions, such as long-term memory and decision-making. Both total and partial SD induce adverse changes in cognitive performance.
Although the latter is more common in everyday life, the effects of total SD have been examined more thoroughly. Prolonged wakefulness can be due to acute total sleep deprivation (SD) or to chronic partial sleep restriction. Nevertheless, in the field of sleep and wakefulness, several unanswered questions remain. Today, prolonged wakefulness is a widespread phenomenon.
