Persistent cognitive fatigue

Ongoing cognitive fatigue results in burnout at work, lower motivation, distractibility, and poor information processing. It also lowers the quality of judgment and decisions, including those of experts.

For instance, scientists found judges were more likely to pass favourable rulings when they felt refreshed, but by lunchtime, the proportion of favourable rulings was close to zero. When the court was back in session, the pattern repeated itself, starting high and ending low.