Are two halves better than one whole? A comparison of the amount and quality of sleep obtained by healthy adult males living on split and consolidated sleep–wake schedules

Participants on a consolidated sleep-wake schedule averaged 7.6 hours of sleep every 28 hours compared to 4.0 hours for those on a split schedule.

• Sleep quality indicators varied between the two conditions, with the split schedule showing longer sleep onset latency (9.7 minutes vs. 4.3 minutes).
• Participants on the split schedule experienced more arousals during the night (7.4 vs. 5.7 per hour in bed).
• A higher percentage of stage 1 sleep was observed in the split condition (4.1% vs. 3.1%).
• Conversely, the split schedule had less wake time after sleep onset (11.7% vs. 17.6%) and a greater percentage of slow wave sleep (30.2% vs. 23.8%).
• These findings suggest that while split schedules can be socially disruptive, they may not be particularly harmful and could have some benefits for sleep.

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