Leave major decisions and important messages until after sleep
Rested people quickly learned to avoid risky choices in a laboratory task. After two sleepless nights, they repeatedly chose riskier options, especially at older ages. This study did not measure losing only a few hours, but important decisions can wait until morning.
What it takes
Free. Postpone them until you are rested.
What you may gain
Thirty-four healthy adults performed the Iowa Gambling Task after 49.5 hours awake. When rested, they learned to avoid high-risk choices; after deprivation, they chose those options more often. Older participants were more affected. This finding comes from one experiment.
Context & considerations
Two nights without sleep is an extreme condition; the study did not directly test staying up until 2 a.m. Postponing messages is the author's grade C practical advice.
Research & references
Killgore, Balkin & Wesensten (2006). Impaired decision making following 49 h of sleep deprivation. Journal of Sleep Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2006.00487.x