Sleep Deprivation Essay

Briana Boone
Comp I
Professor Haught
October 25, 2014
Effects of Sleep Deprivation Studies have shown that the average amount of sleep a person should get every night is eight to nine hours. Most people have a hard time getting this amount of sleep. Between school, work, family obligations, and necessary everyday activities, a person may only get a few hours of sleep a night. Many have asked, "What effect does sleep deprivation really have on us?" Sleep deprivation can cause many problems for people such as, limiting ones ability to learn, forgetting important information, makes one more prone to acne and weight gain, and causing agressive or inappropriate behavior. Sleep deprivation has an obvious effect on ones ability to learn and think clearly. Studies show that teenagers who get less than eight hours of sleep preform worse on tests and everyday homework, than teenagers who get nine and eight hours of sleep or more. Sleep deprivation can cause one to be unable to concentrate on their work and stay focused. Many students who are sleep deprived have trouble learning and listening correctly opposed to someone who isn't. According to www.webmd.com, the reason one can not concentrate or stay focused is "partly due to the person being groggy due to lack of rest. It is also partly due to the fact that sleep deprived people tend to fall into sleep for very brief periods at unforeseen times and tend to not stay awake for class." Sleep deprivation can cause one to forget important information. If one learns something new, and then doesn't get a good night's rest, then he or she will not remember the new knowledge well. According to www.sleepwellblog.com, "When sleep deprived, the brain will struggle to curate and sort new memories. It is able to absorb the information, but the brain is not in a mood to make use of the information for good cause. Studies involving memory tests show that after a single night of sleep, or even a nap, people perform better, whether on a test, in the office, on the athletic field, or in a concert hall." If one is sleep deprived it causes his or her brain to not process what he or she has learned or his or her memories. Whether it's state capitals or where one went on their first date, sleep deprivation could cause one to forget almost anything. Sleep deprivaton can cause one to be more prone to acne and weight gain. According to www.sleepwellblog.com, "Sleep deprivation can cause serious hormonal disruptions. Ghrelin is a hormone responsible to stimulate the feelings of hunger and they will be increased by 15 percent when one is sleep deprived. So, sleep deprived people will eat more and gain weight easily. According to studies, people who were sleep deprived have gained almost 2.2 pounds within a week." After one has experienced a period of sleep deprivation, he or she may start waking up with oily skin and blemishes. So, I bet people are wondering "How does not getting enough sleep affect my skin?" Well, being sleep deprived causes stress levels to increase and inflammation, resulting in blemishes. Sleep deprivation can also cause one to have agressive or inappropriate behavior. A sleep deprived individual is most commonly irritated and has very agressive behavior. In an article posted by the University of Michigan health systems, it was discussed that "kids that are bullies or have violent tendencies are twice more likely to be experiencing sleepiness during the course of the day. These individuals also have a higher tendency to have displaced aggression and revenge planning towards other people. Even though currently an extensive study trying to find the correlation between sleep deprivation and criminal activity has not yet been conducted, it appears likely that the two could be directly related. It is therefore possible, though impractical, to reduce the amount of crimes and violent behaviors in society through an enforcement of required sleep." Sleep deprivation affects everyone and can cause some of the nicest people one knows to lash out and have inappropriate behavior. It is vital for people to realize that sleep deprivation is a growing problem and that it can pose serious health problems. Most people tend to not pay attention to their sleeping habits and they need to know about the treats they are putting their body at risk to. Sleep deprivation can cause many problems for people such as, limiting ones ability to learn, forgetting important information, more prone to acne and weight gain, and causing agressive or inappropriate behavior. There are many ways to prevent oneself from becoming sleep deprived such as, dont eat, drink, or excersise within a few hours of bedtime and avoid doing homework right before bed. Make sleep a priority, it's ones health and education that's at stake. According to WebMD Medical Reference, "Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including getting regular and quality sleep, can be a challenge, especially when one is stressed with a work deadline or test. But, remember, sleep is your friend. So, when it comes to learning and memory, sleep on it."