Introduction
Sleep is a behavior universal to all people, yet it remains largely a mystery. Chronic sleep deprivation has become rampant throughout western society, for a number of reasons. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation, with major objectives being to identify what sleep is, and the reasons for sleep. An emphasis is also placed on the effect, symptoms, causes and ways to combat sleep deprivation. These areas are of particular interest to those seeking to investigate sleep deprivation, or individuals who suffer from sleep deprivation by investigating the symptoms, causes and strategies to combat sleep deprivation.
The information collated in this report was collected from a variety of secondary sources including websites, books, documentaries, statistics and academic journals. A report format was selected to ensure that information concerning the guiding questions were successfully answered. While surveys were conducted information collected was discredited due to the reliability of the information collected.
Definition of sleep
Sleep is a state when the body’s senses and motor activity are disrupted resulting in total or partial unconsciousness (Nordqvist, 2010). As a result all all voluntary muscles are rendered inactive (Nordqvist, 2010). It is a period when the body produces new bone and tissue, resulting in the growth and repair of the body (Nordqvist, 2010). Typically sleep is defined in humans based on brain wave activity patterns and other physiological changes (Harvard Medical Institute, 2007).
Sleep occurs in a series of recurring stages (Smith et al, 2013). These stages can be separated into NREM sleep, and REM sleep (Smith et al, 2013). NREM (non rapid eye movement)...
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...ns behind the process. Reliable sources indicate that sleep deprived individuals display a greater difficulty in performing everyday tasks compared to well rested individuals. The study also reveals that sleep deprivation is linked to obesity, depression, anxiety and the suppression of the immune system. The research conducted suggests that sleep deprivation can be recognised in adults by mood fluctuations, and difficulty in concentration, while children will tend to become emotionally explosive. The findings also detail simple lifestyle alterations available to combat sleep deprivation.
It should be noted that the findings of this report are limited by the current knowledge available. As such public awareness of sleep deprivation and the science of sleep must be raised so that sleeping disorders such as sleep deprivation may be completely understood and treated.
Sleep deprivation is a common condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep. In case of sleep deprivation people have trouble falling and staying asleep for a long period of time. In order to understand how serious sleep deprivation can be, one must need to know causes and consequences of sleep deprivation, how much sleep do we need? What does sleep do for us? And how we can cure sleep deprivation.
Many college students suffer from sleep deprivation; only a few students would say that they are getting enough rest at night. Sleep deprivation is caused by not receiving the amount of sleep that the human body needs to function properly throughout the day. Sleep deprivation has many causes and effects that most often lead to depression, physical illness, learning problems, and irregular sleep patterns; Elizabeth Austin offers two solutions to help college students cope with sleep deprivation.
Chronic sleep loss is becoming more common in modern culture and less restricted to sleep-deprived diseases such as insomnia. Suggested to be the result of a number car, industrial, medical, and other occupational accidents, sleep deprivation is beginning to be recognized as a public concern. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control
Sleep deprivation is a commonplace occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they once did this belief is false (1). Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly effecting a person's behavior. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting. This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Even though cognitive functions might not seem necessary in this scenario the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is not able to rest but rather remains semi-alert in a state of "quiet readiness" (2). Certain stages of sleep are needed for the regeneration of neurons within the cerebral cortex while other stages of sleep seem to be used for forming new memories and generating new synaptic connections. The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior have been tested with relation to the presence of activity in different sections of the cerebral cortex.
Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive, however in the modern days sleep deprivation in increasing more and more each day, causing accidents and medical problems for the people and the community. This essay will look at the meaning of sleep and sleep deprivation and the basic perspectives on what motivates sleep and sleep deprivation with the five perspectives; evolutionary, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and the hierarchy of needs. This essay will also evaluate the best perspective to eliminate sleep deprivation with the cases studies discussing the general hypothesis of sleep and sleep deprivation.
Those that have a bad sleep pattern most likely suffer from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a significant loss of sleep that results in concentration problems and is detrimental to one's health. The symptoms of sleep deprivatio...
Scientists have studied sleep from many different angles but still can't tell us why we do it. Studies have been conducted on sleep deprivation, sleep patterns, and the different stages of sleep. In spite decades of increasing research and discoveries the question, "why we sleep" has yet to be answere...
Sleeping is something that is an essential part of human nature and is a must in order for one to be a functional human being. Sleep is an idea that is accompanied by many wives’ tales, including the ideas that one needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night and alcohol helps one fall asleep and sleep more soundly. One myth about sleep is that during sleeping, one is in a state of nothingness. In truth, however, it has been discovered that during sleep the brain is active, variations in heartbeat and breathing occur, and the eyes and ears are active throughout the time of sleep. These activities during a person’s sleep are important because they help that person be more aware, awake, and alert during consciousness. If all of these important activities occur during sleep, why is it that people are so willing to short themselves of this vital activity? Although much about sleep still remains a mystery, research and experiments continue to show how important sleep is to each and every person. Throughout this paper, I will discuss sleep and the effects that it has on performance and health, especially in college students. A college student’s sleeping pattern is a reliable indicator to their level of performance in the classroom and other school-affiliated activities, as a lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. Sleep is directly related the level of performance and health in an individual; the more rested a person is, the better that person will perform and feel (Dryer, 2006).
In the world of higher education, students at the collegiate level are highly likely to be overwhelmed with course load, in addition to sports and extra-curricular activities (Jacobs & Dodd, 2003). These factors have the potential to lead to various amounts of sleep deprivation, and as the research of Nilsson, Sunderstrom, Karlsson et al. (2004) has shown, sleep deprivation is correlated with higher levels of fatigue, impairments in speed and accuracy as well as limitations in cognitive and physical performances. One way to cope with this fatigue that has shown to have very positive results on people of all ages is taking naps. In addition to reducing sleepiness, Milner & Cote (2008) have determined that “napping may lead to considerable benefits in terms of mood, alertness and cognitive performances”. It is these benefits that nappers seek when engaging in napping activities.
In our fast-paced world, who has time for sleep? From work to school, to social life, society is running on an empty tank. Lack of sleep over long periods of time can be extremely unhealthy. Although we tend to know the dangers associated with the lack of sleep, we continue. Insomnia and sleep deprivation are the two leading symptoms of the lack of sleep, and in the U.S. alone, are amongst the highest in the world. Without knowing, many just assume that the two are one in the same, but in truth, they are not, and are actually two different things all together. This is why it is so important to compare the two, and help our society become more aware of the dangers both can cause, by also providing the information one may need to tell the
Sleep disorders are an underestimated public health concern considering that fifty to seventy million Americans are affected. Technological advances in the field of sleep have facilitated various theories to explain the need for and the purpose of sleep. Scientist have uncovered many types of sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. Sleep disorders affect men ,women, children, the elderly, and the obese in different ways. Factors such as the number of children and the effects of menopause have been studied to determine their effects on sleep. Various treatments have been utilized ranging from non-pharmacologic to pharmacologic methods. Scientist have pinpointed areas of the brain that are involved in sleep deprivation and hormones that ultimately affect sleep.
Have you ever stayed up too late? At one time or another most people have probably experienced that feeling where their eyes start to droop and blur. It’s their body telling them they need to sleep… But do they? Many people might think losing a night’s sleep or not sleeping enough is not a big deal, but in fact, continuously lacking sleep does affect people in a bad way. People should know the healthy amount of sleep they need and some solutions to sleeping problems. Sleep deprivation causes physical and mental effects on the human body and can be directly responsible for many fatal accidents.
Sleep is a very important factor in the human function. Our body and brain is able to reset itself and rejuvenate while we sleep. When we do not get the required amount of sleep, we start to feel lethargic and foggy minded, because our mind and body wasn’t able to replenish itself. Sleep is imperative that an insignificant rest deficiency or lack of sleep can affect our ability to remember things; decisions and can affect our temperament. Chronic sleep deficiency can get the body to feel agitated and it could lead to serious health problems such as, heart problems, stress, acne, and obesity.
For many of us sleep is one of life’s greatest pleasures. For others, it represents a nightly struggle; because we as Americans push our schedules to the brink, we suffer the consequences of sleep deprivation. Despite spending one-third of our lives in slumber, scientists still aren’t certain what sleep is exactly and why we must do it every night. What is clear: Sleep impacts virtually every aspect of our lives, from our mood to the of our functioning of our organs.
Wells, M., & Vaughn, B. V. (2012). Poor Sleep Challenging the Health of a Nation. Neurodiagnostic Journal,52(3), 233-249.