“Sleep Deprivation in the Rat: X. Integration and Discussion of the Findings”, Allan Rechtschaffen, Bernard M. Bergmann, Carol A. Everson, Clete A. Kushida, Marcia A. Gilliland1989 (sleep; backlinks)⁠:

[2002 update] The results of a series of studies on total and selective sleep deprivation in the rat are integrated and discussed.

These studies showed that total sleep deprivation, paradoxical sleep deprivation, and disruption and/or deprivation of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep produced a reliable syndrome that included:

• death,

• debilitated appearance,

• skin lesions,

• increased food intake,

• weight loss,

• increased energy expenditure,

• decreased body temperature during the late stages of deprivation,

• increased plasma norepinephrine, and

• decreased plasma thyroxine.

The importance of this syndrome for the function of sleep is not entirely clear, but several changes suggested that sleep may be necessary for effective thermoregulation.

[Keywords: sleep deprivation, function of sleep, energy expenditure, thermoregulation]

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