Abstract: A method for evaluating the effectiveness of a person to perform a task based on his/her previous or predicted sleep activity is provided. The method can be used to predict changes in task effectiveness at any time of day, based upon numerous patterns of sleep and activity, either experienced or planned for the future. The method takes into account progressive increases in sleep deprivation, the effects of the time of day on performance, and changes in the time when a person sleeps and works. The method also accounts for the quality of a sleep interval and a person's sleep inertia, the temporary slowing of performance immediately after awakening. The method is homeostatic. Gradual decreases in sleep debt decrease sleep intensity. Progressive increases in sleep debt produced by extended periods of less than optimal levels of sleep lead to increased sleep intensity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating the effectiveness of a person to perform a task based on his/her preceding or predicted sleep pattern are provided. An interface allows a user to use actual sleep data or predicted sleep data to produce predictions of the task effectiveness of a person to perform a particular task. The predictions may be in tabular, graphical, or tabular and graphical format. The interface may also represent the effectiveness of a user based on the actual or predicted sleep data in conjunction with an actual or predicted work schedule or pattern. The results can be correlated to sunlight in the user's location, and can also account for changes in the users location (transmeridian shifts), sunlight during the user's sleep cycle (shift work), and other schedule modifying events.