What is acute fatigue?

Acute fatigue is characterized by a sudden onset of tiredness typically resulting from a recent lack of sleep or a temporary increase in physical or mental demands. This form of fatigue is often reversible with adequate rest and recovery. Unlike chronic fatigue, which may stem from longer-term issues such as ongoing stress or specific medical conditions, acute fatigue is generally connected to short-term factors.

It’s important to recognize that acute fatigue can significantly impact performance, especially in high-stakes environments like aviation, where alertness and cognitive function are critical for safety. Understanding that acute fatigue can arise from a single night of inadequate sleep or from a particularly demanding workload helps in implementing effective strategies to manage and mitigate its effects on performance.

In contrast, the other options describe states or conditions that are either long-term, more severe, or unrelated to the sudden onset of fatigue following a lack of adequate rest.