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Individual sleep need is flexible and dynamically related to cognitive function

Nature Human Behaviour volume 8, pages 422–430 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Given that sleep deprivation studies consistently show that short sleep causes neurocognitive deficits, the effects of insufficient sleep on brain health and cognition are of great interest and concern. Here we argue that experimentally restricted sleep is not a good model for understanding the normal functions of sleep in naturalistic settings. Cross-disciplinary research suggests that human sleep is remarkably dependent on environmental conditions and social norms, thus escaping universally applicable rules. Sleep need varies over time and differs between individuals, showing a complex relationship with neurocognitive function. This aspect of sleep is rarely addressed in experimental work and is not reflected in expert recommendations about sleep duration. We recommend focusing on the role of individual and environmental factors to improve our understanding of the relationship between human sleep and cognition.

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Fig. 1: Seasonal variation in sleep duration.
Fig. 2: Experimental adaptation of sleep duration.
Fig. 3: Experimental investigations of sleep adaptation.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the European Research Council (grant agreement numbers 771375 and 313440 to K.B.W., and 283634 and 725025 to A.M.F.), the Research Council of Norway (to K.B.W. and A.M.F.) and the European Commission EU Horizon 2020 programme (grant agreement number 732592—Lifebrain). We thank Inge Amlien for making Fig. 1c.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Anders M. Fjell & Kristine B. Walhovd

  2. Center for Computational Radiology and Artificial Intelligence, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Anders M. Fjell & Kristine B. Walhovd

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  1. Anders M. Fjell
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  2. Kristine B. Walhovd
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Correspondence to Anders M. Fjell.

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Fjell, A.M., Walhovd, K.B. Individual sleep need is flexible and dynamically related to cognitive function. Nat Hum Behav 8, 422–430 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01827-6

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