preview

Disadvantages Of Sleep

Decent Essays

A new “miracle pill” hits the market touting the ability for users to function on only one hour of sleep a night. It sounds too good to be true; right? I believe that this product’s claim deserves analysis. Hence, it is my duty, as a psychologist, to guide clients in the direction of “doing no harm” to themselves or to others. In this essay, we will discuss the possible drawbacks of sleep deprivation. Also, we’ll highlight the benefits of experiencing a full night of sleep, including the benefits of dreaming. It is understandable why some would find the ability to sleep less advantageous to their busy lifestyle. However, what they don’t know can hurt them. What professional psychologists have learned is that sleep provides our brains and body with a much needed rest and restoration period. There are five cycles of sleep that allow us to achieve just that. Stage one through four are stages of sleep ranging from transitioning from wakefulness, to falling into a deep sleep. Stage five, the final stage, is called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. These five cycles take about ninety minutes to occur. The question then becomes; what happens when only one hour of sleep interrupts the sleep cycle. Research from sleep studies show that people who are sleep deprived are more irritable and have a lack of concentration and creativity. This diminished capacity means a person is more prone to making mistakes at school, work or even when engaging with other people. Additionally, one could put lives at risk due to a slower reaction time when driving a car. Or, they could risk the lives of others while performing this simplest of everyday tasks. Consider this: there is a reason why the U.S. Department of Transportation changed its’ industry standards to regulate the hours of sleep required for truck drivers all over this country. Another major consequence of obtaining only one hour of sleep a night: “Sleep is a requirement for normal human functioning (Feldman, 2013).” The five stages of sleep provide the needed rest and restoration for our brains and bodies to work properly. During the course of a day, the body and brain are constantly receiving, analyzing and processing information. The cycles of sleep

Get Access