At a festival like Lowlands, your biological clock is put to the test. With performances running deep into the night, little sleep, and constant stimulation, festivalgoers are bound to get exhausted. But what exactly does that do to your brain?
This August, BioClock will be part of Lowlands Science 2025 to find out. Our team of young researchers will study how sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disruption affect the reaction time, alertness, and even driving ability of festival visitors.
Real-world research
Sleep deprivation is an underestimated contributor to cognitive decline. Being awake for 17 to 24 hours impairs your performance as much as having two alcoholic drinks. Yet, sleep is still often overlooked in public health discussions and policies. BioClock brings this topic straight to the people — right at the festival grounds.
Through an interactive test setup, visitors can:
- Measure their reaction time using NASA’s validated PVT test
- Participate in a driving simulator while sleep-deprived
- Find out whether they’re a morning or evening person
- And most importantly: learn how sleep affects their functioning
Put your skills to the test in the banana-catching game and see whether the early birds or night owls come out on top.
Sleep research that matters
Our goal? Not just to collect data on the effects of sleep loss in young adults, but also to raise awareness of the biological clock and the risks associated with insufficient sleep.
Too tired to function? Let’s find out! Find us at the Lowlands Science village and join in!
📍 Lowlands Science 2025
📅 August 16–18
View the full science programme here.
