Effect of Sleep Debt on Neurophysiological Responses to Heat Exposure

Many people are required to work in stressful situations combining sleep debt and hot environmental conditions. If the effect of sleep debt on cognitive performance is proven, this effect could be increased, during heat exposure, through the deleterious effects of sleep debt on thermoregulatory abilities. These alterations may favour the occurrence of accidents. The changes in cognitive performance induced by hyperthermia are also poorly characterised and often not dissociated from the effects of dehydration. Little is known about the effects of the combination of sleep debt and heat exposure on mental performance. Describing and understanding the alterations induced by this combined situation could provide a better understanding of the mechanisms explaining the deterioration of performance in hot conditions and promote the development of appropriate countermeasures.