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Attention lapses due to sleep deprivation due to flushing fluid from brain

(news.mit.edu)
589 points gmays | 2 comments | 31 Oct 25 13:14 UTC | HN request time: 0.432s | source
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ferguess_k ◴[31 Oct 25 14:11 UTC] No.45772179[source]▶
I wonder if a 30-min nap improves the situation. But I need to tell the brain to hold the flushing until the nap.
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JKCalhoun ◴[31 Oct 25 15:10 UTC] No.45772880[source]▶
Anecdotally, it seems to. I have laid down and closed my eyes even for a short while. And believe that I have even had a "flushing" sensation, that feels like a mental fog being lifted (or "drained", I guess).

I pop up 5 minutes later and feel completely refreshed.

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1. nullstyle ◴[31 Oct 25 15:37 UTC] No.45773275[source]▶
Fwiw, i have the opposite experience of napping. Napping adds to mental fog for me especially for the hour immediately after napping. Its not until several hours later that i actually experience any loss of mental fog or increase in clarity.
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2. g-b-r ◴[31 Oct 25 16:35 UTC] No.45773938[source]▶
It probably depends on how much sleep you're lacking, and how long the nap is.

My experience after sleeplessness nights is that even few seconds help significantly, especially when you're almost unable to function anymore.

If the nap lasts longer than 30 minutes, though, you have a good chance of feeling groggy afterwards.