Sleep Essay

“Why do we sleep?” is a very popular questions that many humans ask today. Sleep is very sufficient to the human body. If it was not important, then God would not have designed for a third of our life to be occupied by sleep. During this time period, many people are interested to know what is a good amount of sleep and what are the harmful effects to not getting enough sleep.

Sleep is a glorified free trial version of death; we don't have to commit to dying just yet. We lie on our warm, cozy queen mattresses motionless for a few hours, while our head rests on the doughy white pillows, our muscles are paralyzed and our breathing is unconsciously monitored through our brain. A scary dream pops out of nowhere, flashbacks of our past come spiraling in our memory, we get to witness movies starring ourselves as the protagonist and surviving in different scenarios. Anywhere from two to ten hours of sleep could just kill our past and make us forget about yesterday. Or we can sleep to relieve the pain or sleep to prepare ourselves for the next day. “ Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.” These are wise words said from Mahatma Gandhi; the most peaceful non violent icon that lead India to its independence from British rule. If Gandhi swore by some serious shut-eye to lead his peaceful protests then there’s no reason for you to not keep pressing snooze on your iPhone alarm clock to go tackle your day, peaceful or not. Sleep is more than just snoozing away on a king size mattress with the blanket tucked in and the fan turned on. Sleep is unique and catered to each person differently.

“The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to” – F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Humans need sleep. Sleep is essential to a myriad of proper bodily functions. It effects memory, focus, mobility, and general brain function. If excessively deprived from sleep, individuals will certainly experience adverse health effects, imminent death being one of them (Worthman, 2008). Although many experts disagree on the details of what comprises ‘good’ sleep (hours, environment, noise level, body position etc.) the necessity of sleep is widely accepted (Worthman, 2008).

Many disorders and diseases can result from abnormal sleeping patterns that are triggered from sleep deprivation. The most common forms of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy (NINDS 10). All of these sleep disorders begin from sleep deprivation and can be managed once they are diagnosed correctly. According to Urban, “Nervousness, dizziness, and sleeplessness may occur”, as a result of sleep deprivation (1). This proves that the slightest health changes can occur if sleep deprivation becomes a problem. According to NINDS, “The disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities” (10). This shows that the effects of being sleep deprived can drastically change one’s everyday

Frank Bruni has written a very relatable essay about students lacking enormous amounts of sleep, in response to “Overloaded and Unprepared”. Although I do agree with several points he has brought to view, the slim number of suggestions to help students was not enforced. While it is acknowledged students do not get enough sleep, nobody is willing to give suggestions to help change the reoccurring issue.

Without sleep many of us will feel the effects of it in the morning and even throughout the day. It is vitally important to “Recharge your batteries” overnight. Getting a good nights rest has many medical benefits such as, improved memory, increased attention, and lower stress just to name a few (Leech). Although this information might seem pretty easy and simple for people to understand, something that a lot of people don’t understand is that there is such a thing as too much sleep.

About: The actual definition of sleep is “a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended:” Research consistently demonstrates that sleep is a significant component of physical and mental health, as well as overall well-being. Sleep is important for optimal cognitive performance and physiological processes, emotional regulation and quality of life. It is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions.

“I'll sleep when I'm dead.” The famous quote that fell from the mouth of Warren Zevon. An American rock song writer and musician that most ironically died from sleep deprivation. Don’t look that up I’m lying. Zevon actually died from Mesothelioma but that’s beside the point. The point I’m trying to make is that you need sleep in order for essential bodily functions to occur and no matter how much we may fight it sometimes it’ll always catch up to us. So don’t listen to Warren Zevon listen to me when I say, “Sleep now and as much as possible!”

Alvarez, a teenager from Los Angeles, describes how her suffering of insomnia affects her school performance. This also includes other sleep deprived students’ standpoints on the matter of sleep deprivation. She encourages more research to be done on the topic to prevent insomnia. Also, she explains how one’s mood and emotional state can be affected by losing sleep, specifically depression and anxiety.

According to the National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a consistent 9-10 hours of sleep a day is required in teenagers and adolescents to avoid health problems that come as a result of sleep deprivation. However, research collected by The National Sleep Foundation's Sleep in America Poll found that by the 12th grade, 75 percent of students self-reported sleep durations of less than 8 hours of sleep per night. Furthermore, although 30% to 41% of sixth through eighth graders were getting 9 or more hours of sleep, only 3% of 12th graders reported doing so. With this major gap in sleep needed and sleep acquired, students experience effects of sleep deprivation. Good sleep should be a priority for everyone as it takes up approximately 33 percent of our life, and by improving sleeping patterns students could experience a decrease in drowsiness and an increase in performance. In order to achieve this Schools should make sleep education a main focus and provide the right resources to improve the energy and mood of their students through proper sleeping

“I’ve always loathed the necessity of sleep. Like death, it puts even the most powerful men on their backs”, said Frank Underwood from ‘House of cards’. That quote was a very analogous way that I had thought about sleep. I am not as stern as Underwood, but I did hate the fact that every human being need to sleep for 6~8 hours, more than 20 years in total. This emotion of animosity grew bigger and bigger, and soon I could not get a good night’s sleep.

A lot of people don’t get enough sleep these days, particularly because the 21st century has come with all sorts of new technologies and distractions that make it even harder than it was for our parents and grandparents to get sleep. Finding that perfect balance that allows you to get your 8 hours, feel rested, and still get things done, has become the holy grail of adult life. No joke. Getting adequate sleep goes hand in hand with our overall health, and it’s necessary for us if we want to be pleasant humans on a daily basis. So how do we get that sleep? Here are a few tips!

Sleep has an essential role in health and well-being throughout one’s life. Receiving enough and high-quality sleep can help boost your physical, social, and mental

It is crucial for the average human to sleep 9 hours per night. That means in 1 year 3,285 hours will be spent asleep. By the age of ninety, 12,240 days have been spent in bed, and 293,220 hours. This means at ninety years old, 34 years have been spent asleep (National Sleep Foundation, September 2015). Sleep is essential for humans, by knowing the purpose of sleep, how the brain and body are involved, improving sleep, and how dreaming functions will help further understand how to engage in a restful sleep.