Amount of Sleep & Alcohol

[TrooperWanaB]

I recently took a polygraph where the first two questions within the prescreening inquired as to the amount of sleep I had and the amount of alcohol consumed the night prior.  Any idea why these questions were asked?  What affect if any does the lack of sleep and alcohol consumption the night prior have on a polygraph?  

[George W. Maschke]

Although there are no studies on the effects of lack of sleep or alcohol consumption the night before on CQT polygraphy, if you had slept very little or not at all, or if you had consumed a very large amount of alcohol the night before, the polygrapher might have decided to postpone the examination.

A secondary value to these questions and others you were no doubt asked regarding any medical conditions you may have or medications you may be taking, is that they create the illusion of a sort of "doctor-patient relationship" between you and the polygrapher and thereby contribute to the mystique of the polygraph.

[TrooperWanaB]

Thanks George for the reply.  I figured as much that it was in fact some more voodoo style trickery conducted by the polygrapher but I wasn't sure.  I thought maybe the combination of the alcohol and lack of sleep made your body, anatomic nervous system in particular, much more slower to react then compared to someone who got a good 8 hours of sleep with no alcohol the night prior.    Interesting......  Thanks again