People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to stumble or drag their feet when walking
A LACK of sleep changes how people walk, say scientists.
In tests asking them to keep a rhythm on a treadmill, tired students were found to stumble slightly or drag their feet without realising.
But those who caught up on their sleep with naps or long lie-ins at the weekend could walk better, even if several days had passed since their last proper kip.
And those who consistently slept well had much better motor control.
Prof Hermano Krebs, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, said: “Scientifically, it wasn’t clear that almost-automatic activities like walking would be influenced by lack of sleep. Compensating for sleep could be an important strategy.”
Researcher Arturo Forner-Cordero added: “The results show that gait is not an automatic process. It can be affected by sleep deprivation.
“Ideally, everyone should sleep eight hours a night.
“But if we can’t, then we should compensate as much and as regularly as possible.”
Animal experiments have suggested that walking is governed mainly by reflexive, spinal activity rather than cognitive processes.
