Perceptual distortions and hallucinations reported during the course of sleep deprivation

Percept Mot Skills. 1989 Jun;68(3 Pt 1):787-98. doi: 10.2466/pms.1989.68.3.787.

Abstract

Subjects worked 30 to 45 min. of each hour for either 48 (n = 2) or 72 hr. (n = 8) without sleep. The frequency of reported visual task-related perceptual distortions and hallucinations showed both a linear increasing component and a strong circadian component. Perceptual distortions were most frequent in the late night-early morning hours (0400) and least frequent in the late afternoon-early evening hours (1600-2000).

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Arousal
  • Attention
  • Female
  • Hallucinations / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Perceptual Distortion*
  • Sleep Deprivation*
  • Visual Perception