Study objectives: We examined how sleep deprivation alters physiological responses to psychosocial stress by evaluating changes in skin conductance.
Design: Between-subjects design with one group allocated to 24 h of total sleep deprivation and the other to rested wakefulness.
Setting: The study took place in a research laboratory.
Participants: Participants were 40 healthy young adults recruited from a university.
Interventions: Sleep deprivation and feedback.
Measurements and results: Electrodermal activity was monitored while participants completed a difficult perceptual task with false feedback. All participants showed increased skin conductance levels following stress. However, compared to well-rested participants, sleep deprived participants showed higher skin conductance reactivity with increasing stress levels.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that sleep deprivation augments allostatic responses to increasing psychosocial stress. Consequentially, we propose sleep loss as a risk factor that can influence the pathogenic effects of stress.
Keywords: affect; allostasis; skin conductance; sleep loss; stress; sympathetic nervous system.
© 2014 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.