The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

785 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The Effects Of Lack Of Sleep Essay

Sleep deprivation is now considered a health crises since a lot of people are now sleeping less than 7 hours a day in comparison to 9 hours a few decades back. The result of this is that health problems are on the rise. Medical experts emphasize the importance of a good quality, uninterrupted sleep routine as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is because inadequate sleep affects the cardiovascular system, the brain and all other organs of the body.

Apart from the list of health hazards mentioned in the first installment of this newsletter, there are a few more to be aware of. Professionals who work long hours as well those who do not have a fixed routine are more prone to suffer from the health issues mentioned below. All of these issues …show more content…

This system is part of the hedonic pathways that regulate appetite and the intake of food. Less sleep increases the levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) chemical. The levels of 2-AG stays low during the night and rises slowly towards midday. However, it was noted that the levels of 2-AG remained high until late in the evening in participants who did not get sufficient sleep.

This explains why people who do not get enough sleep tend to feel more hungry. The high levels of 2-AG was responsible for their large appetites. Also, such people tend to crave foods rich in carbohydrate, fat and protein more often. As a result of this, they put on weight faster.

Type 2 diabetes
Another risk that faces the sleep deprived is Type 2 diabetes. This is because good sleep increases glucose tolerance which is essential for keeping Type 2 diabetes at bay. Also, irregular sleeping patterns raised glucose to dangerous levels especially after meals.
It has been found that patients with Type 1 diabetes were more susceptible to sleep deprivation due to impaired glucose metabolism. Because of this, the risk of later-onset of Type 2 diabetes increases manifold for such …show more content…

Also, the brain uses this period for regeneration of brain cells. Thus, the brains of people who are sleep-deprived tend to shrink over time since the brain is unable to repair itself. When this happens, the prefrontal cortex (which is responsible for reasoning ability) shuts down and the locus coeruleus (LC) neurons take over.

These neurons induce a state of panic and stress and these symptoms manifest themselves in sleep-deprived people. Also, IQ levels decrease after a night of poor quality rest and regularly cutting back on the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep can affect your ability to focus, think and memorize.

Impact on romantic relationship
Another study by a group of psychologists has come up with proof that the quality of a person’s sleep is closely related to the quality of their relationship. The findings of this study pointed out that sleep-deprived people were more self-centered and focused more on themselves in comparison to others. They were less likely to show gratitude and this affected their relationship with their

Show More
Related

  • Causes And Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • What Are The Determinants Of Sleep Deprivation

    1855 Words  | 4 Pages

    The public health problem that I am addressing is the lack of sleep. The target population will be adolescents and college students in America. Sleep is important to health because the timing, quality, and duration are essential. Sleep plays a big role in good health and well-being throughout your life. How you feel when you are awake comes from how well you slept at night. Sleep has a direct correlation with metabolic regulation, emotional regulation, performance, memory consolidation, learning, and brain recuperation process. Because of these factors it should be viewed as just as important

    Read More

  • The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Brain and Behavior

    1930 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Sleep Deprivation

    3833 Words  | 8 Pages

    Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive and to function in day to day operations, but not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Some people can survive on very little sleep, i.e. five hours a night, and some people need a lot of sleep, to the extend that they are sleeping up to 10 to sometimes 15 hours a night (Nature, 2005). According to Wilson (2005) the general rule states that most people need from seven to eight hours of sleep. The deprivation of sleep in our society in continually increasing with the demands in society increasing work loads, the myth that a few hours of sleep is only necessary to function properly and that sleep is sometimes considered as killing time (Nature, 2005). Sometimes sleep deprivation is also caused by other situations like sleep disorders, i.e. sleep apnea, chronic insomnia or medical conditions such as stress (Wilson, 2005).

    Read More

  • Essay On Sleep Deprivation

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sleep deprivation is often associated with the development of medical conditions, especially cardiovascular disease (CVD). As disturbance in sleep could cause deprivation and shorten one’s sleep duration, it is often taken into account when carrying out related studies. Short-term sleep deprivation not only raises blood pressure and produces stress hormones, but also leads to irregular heartbeats [1]. These major risk factors are precursors to coronary disease. In this essay, I will summarize the findings of five studies in relation to sleep deprivation and the increased risk of CVD.

    Read More

  • Sleep Deprivation In Hospital

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    The article "Causes and consequences of sleep deprivation in hospitalized patients" written by Stephanie Pilkington is exploring the causes and consequences of sleep deprivation in hospitalized patients. The author provides a brilliant summary of factors that affect the level of sleep experienced by patients in hospitals and the effects of sleep deprivation on the health and the wellbeing of these individuals. The article goes on to state that for sleep-deprived patients, there were bio-cognitive consequences for their health and recovery, with particular effects on immune functioning, inflammation, parasympathetic equilibrium, carbohydrate metabolism and cognitive performance.

    Read More

  • Diabetes Melllitus Case Study

    1562 Words  | 4 Pages

    Touma, C., & Pannain, S. (2011). Does lack of sleep cause diabetes? Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 78(8), 549-558. http://dx.doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.78a.10165

    Read More

  • Sleep Deprivation Causes

    998 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the most common forms of chronic conditions is cardiovascular disease. This disease is commonly known to disrupt the normal function of the brain. From heart disease, many things can happen, for an example, heart attack and stroke. Although rare and not very commonly known they do happen from lack of sleep and sleep deprivation can be one of the leading cause to a heart attack or stroke if cardiovascular diseases is formed. Not only can a cardiovascular diseases be found, but obesity can also happen. It may seem pretty odd that obesity can happen due to the lack of sleep, but it happens by the lack of brain function and then releases certain hormones that will increase your appetite causing you to gain weight. Once you gain a reasonable amount of weight many aspects of your life will be affected, such as physical activity, and self hate. Obesity, increases many other health risk such as diabetes and breathing problems. Although depressing, if issues relying on sleep are not handled properly, people are risking early mortality. At this stage, they are no longer just affecting their self, but also everyone else around them. People no longer become their own issue but also the family and friends around them, because if they become sick enough the people around them will need to help them and care for them. When dealing with sleep deprivation, make sure to handle it correctly

    Read More

  • Sleep Deprivation Among College Students

    2230 Words  | 5 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Sleep Deprivation

    2134 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Why Should We Sleep?

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    At first, people's eyes begin to feel dry and they have trouble concentrating, causing their eyesight to weaken. Their reaction time slows down as well as their thinking process and judgment. These effects are minor but as one’s body weakens, their immune system is affected as well. This may cause their body to catch an illness or disease. Afterwards, their body becomes very weak and it will take a while before it can heal properly. In addition, their heart gets tired and cannot perform its job properly, so prolonged sleep deprivation also leads to risk of heart diseases. Not only does sleep loss make people feel tired, but it is also harmful to their body by increasing the risk of health problems (“Sleep Deprivation: What Are the Physical Effects” , Griffin R. Morgan, Mann Jeff, Peri Camille, Pietrengeelo

    Read More

  • Sleep Essay: The Need For Sleep

    1193 Words  | 3 Pages

    If the body does not get enough sleep, it does not get the chance to properly recharge by cycling through the stages of sleep. Sleep deprivation puts a person at a disadvantage and makes them struggle more within a day. Problems can occur like having a hard time taking in new information and remembering things. A lack of sleep can impair attention and memory (Alhola, Paula, and Polo-Kantola). When a person does not get enough sleep they feel drowsy, and tired all the time. It takes a toll on one brain's ability to function. Sleep deprivation messes with a person from head to toe and puts a strain on the whole body. If a person continues to operate without enough sleep each day, there will be long term mental and health problems. Some of the most serious problems that can occur when a person does not getting enough sleep is high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, or stroke (Alhola, Paula, and Polo-Kantola). In conclusion, sleep is more important and essential for the human

    Read More

  • Effects Of Lack Of Sleep Essay

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    It has been proven that having a lack of sleep can cause mental health problems. In fact, psychologist Matthew Walker of the University of California, Berkeley,

    Read More

  • Essay On Lack Of Sleep

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Why we should have enough sleep

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sleep is very important for human beings. Sleeping means taking rest for every person and each person spends one-third of his lifetime sleeping. Without sleeping, no one can exist in this world. Sleeping is essential for a person’s health and well-being throughout his life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times helps all people protect their mental health, physical health and safety. A person who does not get enough sleep might suffer from mental disorders, diseases and even harmful situations. Therefore, it is important for every human being to have enough sleep.

    Read More

More about The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

Open Document