Sleep Deprevation: The Relationship Between Disease And Sleep Deprivation

Your brain on sleep deprivation, the relationship between disease and sleep deprivation

“Sleep and watchfulness, both of them, when immoderate, constitute disease.” -Hippocrates

Introduction:

Sleep deprivation can be more harmful to your body than you think. It has been linked to many diseases including heart failure, heart attack, stroke, mental impairment, fetal and childhood retardation, obesity and high blood pressure. Sleep deprivation has also been associated with psychiatric problems including depression and attention deficit disorder.

Risk Factors:

Studies show that that depriving yourself of sleep causes a decrease

These studies are performed in specially designed labs that monitor airflow, breathing effort, leg movement and blood oxygen levels; by attaching electrodes to the face and scalp to measure brain (electroencephalogram or EEG) and muscle tone during a night 's sleep. With the help of newer technologies these assessments are able to be performed in the comfort of your own home by using a portable sleep monitor.

Another is the wakefulness test, this test measures how long a person can stay awake in quiet dark and comfortable room. If the patient falls asleep within minutes of being in the room it indicates they may be suffering from a chronic sleep disorder.

Another test is the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). This test is based on the theory that if the patient is excessively drowsy than they will be able to fall asleep faster and is designed to measure daytime sleepiness. The patient is given a dark room to nap in for two hour intervals during the day. EEG and muscle tone are measured. The amount of time the person is awake to the time they are trying to fall asleep is measured to determine the "sleep latency." If the sleep latency results are 5 minutes or less this indicates that the patient more than likely suffers from severe day time sleepiness (Medical