The disk-over-water method is a technique for causing
sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation, also known as sleep insufficiency or sleeplessness, is the condition of not having adequate duration and/or quality of sleep to support decent alertness, performance, and health. It can be either chronic or acute and may vary ...
in
laboratory animals.
The subject—for example, a
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...
or
pigeon—is placed on a disk. When the subject shows signs of falling asleep, the disk begins to slowly rotate, at a few
revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
. The subject must walk to keep pace with the disk, or it will be carried into a pool of water.
See also
*
Flowerpot technique
The flowerpot technique is an animal testing technique used in sleep deprivation studies. It is designed to allow NREM sleep but prevent restful REM sleep. The test is usually performed with rodents.
Technique
During sleep deprivation studies, a ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Disk-Over-Water Method
Animal testing techniques
Ethically disputed research practices towards animals
Sleeplessness and sleep deprivation