Lack of sleep hurts performance

HELSINKI, Finland, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Helsinki, Finland, researchers found after a sleep restriction of up to four hours per night, the ability to perform complex tasks gradually decreased.

The researchers are part of a team of European researchers examining how sleep affects quality of life, mood, performance, accidents and cardiovascular diseases.

The preliminary findings said that following sleep restriction to four hours per night, several changes in their immunological system were also recognized -- such as an increase in CRP-reactive protein, an indicator of defense reaction.

The Sociology of Sleep Group at the University of Surrey in England found strong social inequalities in sleep problems with poorer sleep recorded for people living in more disadvantaged social circumstances, such as with low income and low educational attainment.

Researchers in Munich and Ingolstadt, in Germany, suggest that disturbed sleep regulation profoundly interferes with our well being and the interaction with the environment.