The Cause And Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is a rather peculiar action. Why does the brain and the body basically need to lose connection to the world for a few hours? Insomnia, which is the inability to sleep, can cause many symptoms and they are not delightful whatsoever. Sleep deprivation is not only rough because of obvious reasons, but the consequences that harm the brain and body can be devastating. Even if people know what sort of symptoms are, they do not know why these things happen.

Sleep deprivation has a lot of dangers associated with it. It can cause hypertension and, because of something commonly called Sleep Debt, it sometimes causes dangerous driving conditions. Sleep debt is the amount of sleep a person has lost over time, and it must be paid back just like a money loan would need to be (Dement & Vaughan, p. 501). Christopher Dement explains (1999), “Regardless of how rapidly it [sleep debt] can be paid back, the important thing is that the size of the sleep debt and its dengerous effects are definitely directly related to the amount of lost sleep” (p. 501). Risks for hypertension have also been linked to sleep deprivation because it can increase a person’s stress level. A study done by Dr. Susan Redline and published in the Science Journal Circulation on August 19, 2008 reports that:

Sleep effects every living organism on the world, whether it is positive or negative it has an impact on everyone. There are many different stages of sleep and each containing its own purpose. Sleep isn’t as simple and unnecessary as many believe it to be; sleep has the power to cause many different disorders and can even cause death if a person is deprived from sleep for too long. Sleep can also effect the brain and how the brain functions on a daily basis. Sleep is an important factor of life that should not be over looked. If enough sleep occurs there are many advantages that can make one’s life more healthy and beneficial.

Lack of sleep can affect the ability to function in academic environments by impairing the ability to learn, listen, and solve problems. Insufficient amounts of sleep have been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-tasking behaviors. "During sleep, important body functions and brain activity occur. Skipping sleep can be harmful or even deadly, especially if you are behind the wheel. You can look bad, you may feel moody, and you perform poorly. Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your scores on school exams, on the court or on the field." (Teens and Sleep 1) During sleep the body repairs muscles and tendons, releases hormones to regulate growth and appetite, restores energy, and contributes to a healthy immune system. Sleep is linked with the repair of the heart and blood vessels and sleep deficiency after long periods of time can be linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Not getting enough sleep can affect an individuals mood, energy, health, and even their ability to handle stress. Studies show that not getting the recommended amount of sleep can be linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. If today's teenagers and adults that sleep less than seven hours a night aren't getting enough sleep, then

Rapid Eye Movement(REM) has been correlated with dreams and sleep physiology. It has been tracked by brain waves and muscle movements. Non-Rem(NREM) sleep is the first phase which occurs for 1-7 minutes and the easiest to be interfered with. The brain begins firing betawaves every 15-30 seconds. After a while the person becomes asleep and breathing regularly between 6-8 seconds in the second stage. The heart rate begins to slow down and so does the blood pressure. In the third stage there are more thetawaves along with sleep spindles(sigma waves) and k-waves. Most of the noise are lock out and the heart rate and blood pressure are decreasing. In the fourth phase there are thetawaves in the appearance of delta waves firing at 1-5 seconds. The last and final stage, the person is in their deepest sleep and it is very difficult to wake up. The heart rate and blood pressure are at their lowest and the delta wave are blasting every 1-5 seconds.

Sleep deprivation leads to an increase in the rates for; diabetes, obesity, stress, stroke, heart disease and insomnia. The irritation from not being able to sleep can cause anger and depression, leading to unneeded relationship troubles and mental turmoil. Teens who didn't get enough sleep before they drove to school resulted in over 100,000 police reported crashes, with, (roughly) at least 3,000 potentially preventable deaths. For adults, sleep deprivation can attribute to problems getting work done or feeling motivation to do work, all throughout history it can be seen that a tired person is not able to do their job as well as someone who got their 8

Today in 2017, 26-35% of American adults get a total of eight hours of sleep (Alic & Nienstedt, 2013). Sleep deprivation is a rising problem in college students today. 50% of college students report being sleepy on the day-to-day basis (Causes and Consequences, 2014). The average adult is supposed to be getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, while teenagers are recommended nine hours of sleep a night (Alic & Nienstedt, 2013). There are many causes of sleep deprivation which affects attention performance, learning and memory, mental health, and has several effects that can be prevented.

The act of sleeping is well acknowledged as an essential and healthy part of every human being 's life. Until the 1950s, sleep was widely believed to be a passive act that every human had to go through at night. Through extensive study and research, scientists have learned that sleeping affects our physical and emotional functioning during the day, including mental accuracy, productivity, mental balance, physical balance, and even weight, although scientists are still not sure exactly what sleep does. Previously people commonly thought sleep was a stage in their day when their brains shut down. This has

Sleep is the mysterious shift in consciousness that our bodies require every day (sleep council). Sleep scientists have explored these changes in depth, & their definition of sleep is tied to characteristic patterns of brain waves & other physiological functions (Harvard, 2008).

Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest factors in children’s behavior. There are a number of reasons for children to get a good night sleep. It is not only important to adults but it is crucial in kids. Physical activity and cognitive thinking do well together when a child gets enough sleep (Sleep is Important to Your Child’s Health, 2012). The effects on a child’s sleeping habits can be profound in a negative or positive way. People show sleepiness in different ways and children have an even bigger spectrum on signs of theirs. It is up to parents, guardians, and teachers to really understand the importance of sleeping habits and the benefits of a child that is well rested.

Conspicuously, there are numerous excuses as to why a teen or young adult would deprive themselves of sleep. Whether it is caused by a jam-packed schedule or some type of sleeping disorder, the issue needs to be addressed and measures need to be taken so that they, once again, are able get a proper night’s sleep. There are two distinct sides that researchers take when it comes to helping teens and young adults get enough sleep. The most prevalent is when the sleep deprived person tries to fix their sleep issues on their own or with the help of their family or doctor. Commonly used practices include consuming over the counter or prescription sleeping medication; making sure one sticks to a regular sleep schedule, even on the weekends; avoiding naps; and avoiding stimulating and stressful activities near bedtime, this includes exercise and anything that involves a backlit screen, such as a computer or TV (Saisan, Smith, Robinson & Segal, 2013). If a person truly has the desire to help themselves by going to sleep and waking up at normal hours, he

Sleep deprivation can affect mood, performance, attention, learning, behavior, and biological functions. There are many factors that can contribute to one not getting enough sleep, including not allowing enough time for sleep, excessive worry, depression, repeated awakenings from noise, working at night, travel across time zones, and medical illness causing pain or difficulty breathing. Many of these symptoms are referred to as insomnia, which means “inability to obtain sufficient sleep, esp. when chronic; difficulty in falling or staying asleep; sleeplessness” (www.dictionary.com).

In Western cultures, the biggest cause of sleep deprivation is stress mostly as a result of being sick, overworking and shift working, drugs, or examinations (Pinel, 2014). Sleep loss can lead to impairment in decision-making. Two studies have been conducted that look at twenty-four hours of sleep deprivation and focus on the effect it has on making complex decisions. Essentially, what is the effect of total sleep deprivation in decision-making?

Lack of sleep has been known to make a person grumpy and foggy, but those are not the only things resulted for sleep deprivation. The effects of not getting more than seven or more hours of sleep can also impact a person 's memory, sex life, looks, health, and even weight. Staying up all night may seem like a good idea, however, a person might want to realize the true consequences of staying up late and reconsider depriving themselves of their sleep.

Sleep is very important to the human body, enabling it to heal and repair effectively. Sleep deprivation affects many organ systems, including the brain and the central nervous system. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to cognitive impairment. About 50 to 70 million of American adults find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Common causes of poor sleep include specific medical conditions like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, psychological problems like anxiety and worrying, and the habit of fitting everything in a single day.