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Sufficient sleep is essential to your mind and brain and there is simply no substitute for sleep.

There is no denying the importance of sleep.

What can be done to substitute for a lack of sleep?

For many years, scientists have known that sleep deprivation reduces the ability to maintain attention. When asked to monitor a computer screen and press a button whenever a red dot appears – a pretty simple task – participants who are sleep deprived are much more likely to have lapses in attention. They don’t notice a bright red dot and fail to respond within a half-second. These lapses in attention are due to a buildup in pressure to sleep and are more common at points in the 24-hour circadian cycle when the body expects to be sleeping.

Philippine Canadian Inquirer Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there’s no substitute for shut-eye