Essay Sample on Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Debts

Inroduction

Regular body exercises and eating a balanced diet are essential to the body. Sleep is also crucial to the health of human beings and existence because the overall functioning of the body relies on the sleep for proper and adequate functioning. However, deprivation of the body of sleep has been associated with many road accidents, mental diseases, heart diseases in addition to other detrimental effects that result from sleep debt. Therefore, the following paper synthesizes on the importance of sleep and the risks of deprivation of sleep to the general body functioning.

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Sleep is a trait that is common to all human beings in different parts of the world just like consuming food and taking beverages entirely everyone sleeps. Sleep covers about one-third of human being's life and two thirds for a baby. Moreover, it is common for every person while sleep to experience dreams of different memories and they are retained after waking up. Sleep is a trait that is common to human beings and also a characteristic of the majority of living organisms. Sleep can be seen in different animals including; fish, birds example turkeys and ostrich, insects, amphibians and even mammals. Therefore, sleep is a common element to most predators because most of them spend a lot of time sleeping than being awake.

However, it is almost impossible to note or even discover when animals or even human beings are sleep. Furthermore, the only way to know if animals or human beings are sleeping is the patterns of electrical operations in the brain. Correspondingly, a person who falls asleep or even an animal tends to remain in a familiar place for many hours. Sleep is a state of temporary relapse of the mind and the body which renders the nervous system temporarily inactive (Martin 463).

During this temporary state of inactivity created in the brain, the pathways necessary for processing information are processed. Sleep can manifest itself in two forms, rapid eye movement (REM)and non-Rem sleep. Therefore, adequate sleep registers significant health benefits just as regular exercises and proper diet due to the body. Nature and duration of one's sleep are affected either by their inherently hereditary features and aging among others.

Sleep is a crucial component; living organisms sleep and wake up observing the 24-hour clock system. Similarly, there are animals which sleep when dark approaches but some of the species sleep during the day and stay awake during the night. Many birds and also reptiles fall asleep during the night. Sleep is unique and possesses some traits including the place and posture of sleeping. Moreover, many animals have a common place where they sleep after spending the whole day hunting with the aim of looking for food.

Most birds sleep on the trees by building nests while small mammals will choose to sleep in underground barrows because it is a place that is secure and safe from the predators. Human beings will prefer to sleep in houses that are secure and also private from any form of disturbances. However, it is common for human beings to sleep while lying down because that is considered as a proper way of sleeping.

Sleep Deprivation and Its Effects, Including Sleep Debts

Sleep is a necessary element of the efficient functioning of the body's mental alertness, energy levels, and other psychological effects. Similarly, it has been ascertained that the deprivation of one's body of sleep bares a high impact on one's activities during the day when they are expected to be active. Furthermore, this negative impact is attributed to the critical influence that sleep has on the brain in its cognitive functions.

Deprivation of the body of sleep may result in deterioration in one's heart and mental health, diabetes and even road accidents (Epstein 474). In addition to, sleep deprivation affects mortality considering the findings and research that people who sleep for less than four hours are more likely to die in six years compared to their counterparts who enjoy at least sleeping seven hours.

Various tragic events that have resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property have been attributable to sleep deprivation among humans. Moreover, a study was conducted and found out that many road accidents that occur are linked to a driver driving a car for a long distance while sleepy without considering the importance of getting adequate sleep. Therefore, these destructive events can mainly be attributed to sleep deprivation and sleep debt.

Sleep deprivation contributes to health complications example, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack. Our bodies generally need sleep since it is essential to the well-being of our bodies by playing a crucial role in refreshing our minds. Moreover, sleep prepares our body for a new day that will be characterized by different activities that require our body to have fresh energy. Similarly, enough sleep opens up one's mind and enables him with ideas.

Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Debt and its Effects on Teens

Sleep deprivation can be referred to as a situation of not getting enough sleep for our bodies. In contemporary society, sleep deprivation is common, and it is characterized by feeling awake and alert. Similarly, there are long-term effects associated with sleep deprivation example; respiratory diseases, mental illness, body immune system weakens, difficult when thinking and concentrating. Also, to avoid health complications attributed to sleep deprivation, everyone is advised to sleep for a required number of hours.

Sleep deprivation and sleep debt have long-term effects on adolescents in different ways. Majority of the adolescents who go to school fall asleep during class time because they did not have enough sleep in the previous nights. Research conducted in the United States of America, mainly focusing on adolescents aged between 11 to17, NSF'S 2006 sleep in America. Correspondingly, it concluded that 20% of adolescents get a recommendation of nine hours asleep on school nights almost one a half sleep less than eight hours on school nights.

Moreover, poor performance in school among adolescents is as a result of sleep deprivation and sleep debts (Dement 497). Furthermore, it is evident why the teens fall asleep during class time and fail to pay attention to whatever taught. Similarly, this explains why the majority of them end up performing poorly in their end of term examination and continuous assessment tests. Adolescents who get enough sleep are most likely to perform better and achieve premier grades than their counterparts. Unhappy, tense and nervous are other traits and effects of sleep deprivation and sleep debt among adolescents which deprive them their happiness and ability to be always active.

Sleep is an essential aspect to our bodies; therefore, adolescents equally need enough sleep just like any other human being and living organism. Majority of the adolescents who are unhappy, tense and nervous do not get enough sleep during the night resulting to them sleeping in the daytime.

Altering Behavior Regarding Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Adolescents and all other people are advised to get enough sleep and also observe the correct sleep schedule to avoid health complications. Furthermore, there is a close relationship between sleep and brain; sleep deprivation easily makes someone feel exhausted or angry. It is good to get knowledge on the required hours for enough sleep to function at the best levels. (Luby 182).

Parental role is very crucial and necessary in ensuring that the adolescents get enough sleep by observing the sleeping hours throughout the growth phase. This can be achieved by coming up with a bedtime schedule and also the waking time Parents should discuss sleep to their children and also the importance of retiring to bed at the right time and waking up. Common characteristics of sleep deprivation and sleep debt are sleeping during the day and staying awake and alert throughout the entire night.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that sleep is crucial to all living organisms because it is through sleep that our mind gets refreshed and some rest before engaging in any activity which is both physical and mental. Sleep deprivation and sleep debt have long-term effects on our bodies including mental health complications, heart attack, respiratory diseases, and stroke. Therefore, all human beings are advised to observe the required number of sleep strictly in order to maximize human output.

Works Cited

Dement William C., and Christopher Vaughan. "Sleep Debt and the Mortgaged Mind." The

The promise of Sleep, 1999, pp. 497-505.

Epstein, Lawrence, "Improving Sleep." Overviews of sleep mechanics sleep throughout life, and consequences of sleep deprivation, 2007 pp.471-482.

Luby, Elliot D., et al. "Sleep deprivation: effects on behavior, thinking, motor performance, and biological energy transfer systems." Psychosomatic Medicine 22.3 (1960): 182-192.

Martin, Paul. "A Third of Life." Counting Sheep: The Science and Pleasures of Sleep and Dreams, 2002, pp. 462-470.