His research has primarily focused on the manner in which sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythmicity control cognitive, affective, behavioral, endocrine and immunological processes.
He has developed technologies for monitoring human neurobehavioral capability, such as his patented Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT).
Dinges' CV in November 2007[3] showed 130 peer-reviewed research publications dated 1972 to 2007 as well as more than 90 editorials, reviews, chapters and committee reports, 1978 to 2007.
Together with R. J. Broughton, he edited Sleep and Alertness: Chronobiological, Behavioral and Medical Aspects of Napping, Raven Press, New York, 1989.
Videos of his short Science Network lectures Behaving without sleep: Biological limits on our environmental demands and Napping and Recovery at the Salk Institute, 09 and 10 February 2007, can be viewed online.