Analysis of the relationship between gender and activation, stress, and anxiety responses in a sleep deprivation situation

The present study analyses the effect that 60 hours of sleep deprivation (SD) produce in diverse aspects of healthy subjects´ mood, in order to determine the possible existence of differences according to gender. Activation, fatigue and stress were evaluated every 6 hours (a total of 10 times) by using the Differential Adjective Inventory for Mood Evaluation (IDDA-EA). The state anxiety and depressed mood were evaluated in three times using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory: subscale of mood (STAI-E) and the Beck´s Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. 30 subjects (15 men and 15 women) from 18-24 years of age participated in the experiment. The results show that 60 hours of SD produce a marked increase in fatigue and decrease in activation in all the subjects. In other words, women show an increase in the state anxiety level and a slight nonsignificant tendency towards the appearance of a dysphoric state. The conclusion is that the identification of individual and/or constitutional characteristics that differentially influence the effects of SD upon mood is relevant since numerous works and situations in our current life style involve sleep deprivation.