0080 The Influence of Habitual Sleep Duration on Rational Thinking Ability

Introduction Higher cognitive abilities, such as executive functions, can be impaired by acute sleep loss, but findings have been inconsistent across different cognitive abilities. It is possible that long-term habitual sleep patterns may affect executive functions differently than acute sleep loss. Moreover, few studies have explored the role of habitual sleep duration on rational thinking, a computational method of solving problems. We focused on whether long-term sleeping patterns versus short-term sleep habits (hours of sleep the night before, self-reported sleepiness during testing, caffeine ingestion before testing) may affect scores on a measure of rational thinking, an understudied aspect of executive function. Methods 30 participants completed several questionnaires while in a private laboratory testing room. Participants were administered a Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), a questionnaire regarding recent sleep habits, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT-7). The CRT-7 measures “rational thinking”, which is a task designed to assess the ability to “override” reflexive thought processes and employ deliberate cognition. Results Higher CRT-7 scores were associated with the average hours of sleep per night over the past month (r=.496, p