This experiment was conducted as a specific response to work/rest questione posed by the medical group supporting the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program.This report has been reviewed and is approved.
GEORGE E SCHAFER Colonel, USAF, MC Commander i
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ABSTRACTfThirteen subjects Look part in it series of 12-day runs in an experiment on the effects of demanding work/rest schedules (4/2, 4/4, or 16/8 hours). On days 8, 9, and 10, subjects were deprived of sleep one worked continuously.No significant work/rest effects were seen until hubjects were sleep-deprived. In general, subje-ts on the 161'" schedule tolerated sleep deprivation better and recovered faster, as evidenced by psycihomotor test scores and Pleel, report3.
HMt: CREW P
NHANCE ON D WN6 WOR,/R7 KHEDUW CONPOUB ) BY SLEEP DEPRIVATIO I. INTRODUCTIONThe study showed that: (1) learning curves were obtained during the initia! , ' U s, but the Manned space flight to date provides a rate of learning was less for subjects on the somewhat mixed picture on work/rest sched-4/2 iedule than for subjects on the 4/4 ules. Clearly, those in-orbit tasks which relate schedule; (2) both groups suffered performto ground tracks and orbit times require relaance decrement during sleep deprivation, but tively brief crew performance periods when the decrement was greater on the 4/2 schedule compared to a conventional 8-hour work day.than on the 4/4 schedule; (3) diurnal variaIn the early planning for the Manned Orbiting tions persisted throughout sleep deprivation; Laboratory (MOL), specific attention was givand (4) subjective alertness was degraded duren to crew schedules which would provide ing sleep deprivation, partially recovered after relatively short periods of work and rest althe first postdeprivation sleep period, and fully ternating around the clock. Questions were recovered by the end of the first postdeprivaraised concerning the effect of such schedules tion day, with performance measures confirmon crew efficiency.ing these changes grossly.
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