The 'post-lunch dip' is a common behavioral phenomenon, though perhaps a misnomer, Biphasic models of the human sleep tendency rhythm suggest an alternative explanation for the afternoon decline in alertness. Sleep tendency was measured with the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) at 2-hour intervals in 16 volunteers from three age groups (ages 10-12, ages 16-17, ages 62-74 years) during a constant routine in which small meals were given each hour. Baseline scores showed no significant Time of Day effect, although a trend for an afternoon dip was present in the eldest group. During the constant routine, a significant Time of Day effect was found for the two older groups and not for the prepubertal group. The results indicate a midday increase in sleep tendency that is unrelated to food intake but that may be related to developmental or maturational processes.
CITATION STYLE
Carskadon, M. A., & Dement, W. C. (1992). Multiple sleep latency tests during the constant routine. Sleep, 15(5), 396–399. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/15.5.396
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