Being deprived of sleep on a short-term basis, as in pulling an all-nighter, can be more harmful than helpful. A study conducted by researchers aimed to investigate the impact of acute sleep deprivation by keeping participants awake for intervals of up to 72 hours and subsequently measuring key indicators of cognitive competence, including reaction time, attention, etc. Results revealed varying results in how certain tasks were responded, but demonstrated a general trend of decreased speed and accuracy in assigned tasks.