Jewish Empathy

By: Dave Gordon

Extroverts – people who are outgoing and unreserved – are more vulnerable to sleeping deprivation after they have been socially active. Extroverts and introverts (reserved, shy people), were randomly assigned to either interact with others with games, discussions or movies, or spend that time doing activities alone. The study, published in the journal Sleep, found that none the introverts had any differences in vulnerability to subsequent sleep deprivation, whereas the extroverts in the social activity group were more likely to experience sleep problems than those in the isolation group. The research was conducted by the Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland. The results suggest that experiences, in combination with individual characteristics, influences vulnerability to sleep loss. High levels of social stimulation may boost the need for sleep, as interactions may lead to fatigue in parts of the brain that control attention and alertness. Some people, specifically those who tend to be introverted, may be resistant to sleep loss.