Circadian-Dependent Effects of Sleep Restriction on Vestibular Function and Postural Control

Balance is the ability to integrate vestibular, somatosensory, and visual inputs to maintain the body’s center of gravity within its stability limits. While chronic poor sleep habits are known to impair postural control, the acute effects of a single night of bad sleep remain controversial. This study aimed to determine whether one night of poor sleep would affect postural control, using objective sleep and balance assessments. Forty-eight subjects (age = 22.15 ± 0.47 years; BMI = 22.20 ± 0.34) performed the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (m-CTSIB), which evaluates the vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual components of balance through four distinct conditions. The tests were conducted at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM on separate days. Participants wore an actigraph the night before each test, and based on National Sleep Foundation cut-offs, they were classified as Good Sleepers (GS), Intermediate Sleepers (IS), or Bad Sleepers (BS). In the evening session, BS exhibited significantly higher oscillation index values than both GS and IS (p = 0.01), indicating worse balance control. No significant differences were found between GS and IS. Poor sleep quality and quantity can significantly impair balance, particularly its vestibular component, in the evening. These findings enhance our understanding of the physiological relationship between sleep and balance, with implications for athletic training and fall prevention.