Characteristics of “Natural” Long and Short Sleepers: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

A comparison of the psychological, physiological, and intellectual characteristics of long and short sleepers was made among first-year college students who indicated their typical sleep length on an entering questionnaire. 3 populations were obtained from follow-up interviews: 12 short sleepers, 10 continuing long sleepers, and 9 long-changed sleepers (originally long sleepers now sleeping less than 7 1/2 hr. per night). The data collected included a psychological test battery, college entrance scholastic scores, and physical examination statistics. Analyses comparing the 3 sleep-length groups on each measure yielded no statistical differences. The conclusion was that in an achieving young adult population, self-selected extremes in sleep length do not appear to result in obvious adverse consequences.