| Title: |
Domain-specific circadian rescue following sleep deprivation |
| Authors: |
Guo, Bowen; Yan, Kaikai; Deng, Yao; Zhao, Weiwei; Chen, Xing; Xue, Chenye; Chai, Ya; Quan, Peng; Goel, Namni; Basner, Mathias; Mao, Tianxin; Rao, Hengyi |
| Contributors: |
Shanghai International Studies University Research Projects; National Natural Science Foundation of China; National Institutes of Health |
| Source: |
SLEEP ; ISSN 0161-8105 1550-9109 |
| Publisher Information: |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Description: |
Study Objectives Circadian rhythms regulate sleep–wake cycles and modulate cognitive functions over a 24-h period. Following sleep loss, certain cognitive performance partially rebounds in the early evening, a phenomenon known as circadian rescue. Yet, the magnitude and domain specificity of circadian rescue remain poorly understood. Here, we integrate experimental and meta-analytic approaches to differential contributions of circadian and homeostatic processes to cognitive rescue following sleep deprivation. Methods In study 1, 54 healthy adults remained awake for 35 consecutive hours while repeatedly completing the Psychomotor Vigilance Task, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. Performance dynamics were modeled using the two-process framework of sleep regulation. In study 2, a meta-analysis of published data contextualized these findings across protocols. Results Results reveal domain-specific circadian recovery rates of 33.0%–52.1% for Psychomotor Vigilance Task, 45.7% for Digit Symbol Substitution Test, and 23.5% for Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, indicating that subjective sleepiness is predominantly driven by homeostatic load, whereas objective cognitive performance retains significant circadian modulation under conditions of acute homeostatic pressure. Conclusions These findings clarify how circadian and homeostatic drives interact to shape cognitive task performance and subjective sleepiness outcomes under sleep loss, with practical implications for optimizing performance in fatigue-prone environments. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1093/sleep/zsag054 |
| DOI: |
10.1093/sleep/zsag054/67153784/zsag054.pdf |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsag054; https://academic.oup.com/sleep/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsag054/67153784/zsag054.pdf |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.8604F636 |
| Database: |
BASE |