<p>Generally, are there and how long do lingering affects of polar sleep patterns affect someone? For example, assume someone slept for 2 hours one day and then slept for 14 hours the next. Their 2 day average would be 8, an unofficial heuristic for optimal sleep length. However, intuitively, I feel that their cognition would notably be different for a while because of these polarized events. Is this true? And if so, what are the basis for this, and how long do these effects last assuming someone got 8 hours a sleep religiously over the next few weeks? </p>

<p>By changes in their cognition (the ones I feel "intuitively"), I mean like a lower fidelity of memory, slower reaction times, but still the ability to function normally in a group setting. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-30T23:03:11.247Z
Possible duplicate of [Can you catch up on sleep over the weekend?](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/868/can-you-catch-up-on-sleep-over-the-weekend)
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-30T23:03:47.533Z
This may also be a duplicate, but has no answers: https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10407/how-to-compare-cumulative-sleep-debts
Arnon Weinberg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-01T06:53:59.010Z
@ArnonWeinberg - The question is subtly different in terms of the daily distribution of sleep.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-01T18:21:15.823Z
it seems like this is a widely-asked question with no solid answers to date.
honi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-01T23:08:20.520Z
@honi Are there any collections recent literature with theories?
Alvin Nunez
<sleep>
Adaptation to Discrete Perturbation in Sleep?
Alvin Nunez
# Adaptation to Discrete Perturbation in Sleep?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-30)

Generally, are there and how long do lingering affects of polar sleep patterns affect someone? For example, assume someone slept for 2 hours one day and then slept for 14 hours the next. Their 2 day average would be 8, an unofficial heuristic for optimal sleep length. However, intuitively, I feel that their cognition would notably be different for a while because of these polarized events. Is this true? And if so, what are the basis for this, and how long do these effects last assuming someone got 8 hours a sleep religiously over the next few weeks?

By changes in their cognition (the ones I feel "intuitively"), I mean like a lower fidelity of memory, slower reaction times, but still the ability to function normally in a group setting.

**Tags:** sleep

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Possible duplicate of [Can you catch up on sleep over the weekend?](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/868/can-you-catch-up-on-sleep-over-the-weekend)  
> **username_1**: This may also be a duplicate, but has no answers: https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10407/how-to-compare-cumulative-sleep-debts  
> **username_2**: @ArnonWeinberg - The question is subtly different in terms of the daily distribution of sleep.  
> **username_3**: it seems like this is a widely-asked question with no solid answers to date.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Are there any collections recent literature with theories?  

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