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Ciara Paul

Professor Kretzer

English 1201

1 November 2019

Research Paper: Sleep Deprivation

When you think of sleep what do you think of? Me personally I think of my love

for sleep or people think of how great it is, or some might think of how they need more

of it. I’m sure we could all relate some way or another when thinking of sleep. But do

you ever think of the negatives of not getting enough sleep? The risks of not getting

enough sleep, or how it even affects us at all? Questions like these are the reason I

chose this topic. Sleep is so crucial for us in our everyday lives, and lack of it can have

some serious consequences. I’m hoping to educate others and myself on something we

should take more seriously. Because when you choose to miss sleep to keep up with

everything going on in your life you pay the price with your health, safety, your ability to

learn and your overall quality of life.

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Sleep deprivation the proper way to pronounce deprivation is: (DEP-rih-VA-

shun) which is a condition that occurs if you don't get enough sleep. Sleep deficiency is

the broader concept of it. A sleep deficiency can lead to physical or mental health

problems, injuries, loss of productivity, and an even greater risk of death. Sleeping is a

basic human need, just like eating, drinking, and breathing.

To understand sleep deprivation, one must first know how sleep really works. I

will talk about the sleep cycles because they play such a big role into whether you feel

refreshed when you wake up or sleepy. There are two types of sleep REM sleep also

known as Rapid Eye Movement, and Non-REM. REM and Non-REM sleep occur in a

pattern of 3–5 cycles each night.

Non-REM sleep happens first:

 Three phases of non-REM sleep

 Each of these stages anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes long. You go through all

three phases before reaching REM sleep.

 Deep sleep

o Phase 1: This phase may last 5-15 mins, but your eyes are closed, but it is

easy to wake you up from this phase.

o Phase 2: This is considered a light sleep. Your heart rate slows, and

your body temperature starts to drop. Your body is preparing for deep

sleep.

o Phase 3: Also known as the deep sleep stage. It's harder to wake you

during this stage, and if someone did wake you up, you would feel

disoriented for a few minutes. During the deep sleep stages your body
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repairs/regrows tissue, builds muscle and bone, and strengthens the

immune system.

REM sleep comes second:

 REM sleep happens about 90 minutes after you fall asleep

 Each of your later REM stages gets longer, and the final one may last up to an

hour

 The first period of REM typically lasts about 10 minutes

 Dreaming typically occurs during REM

 Bodily movement with faster pulse and breathing usually occur

 (Felson)

Your ability to function and feel well while you're awake depends on the sleep

you get and whether or not you’re getting enough of each type of sleep. It also depends

on if you're sleeping at a time when your body is ready to go to sleep. You have this

thing called an internal "body clock" that controls when you're awake and when your

body is ready to go to sleep. This clock usually follows a 24-hour repeating rhythm

called the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm affects every cell, tissue, and organ in

your body and how they’re supposed to work. If you aren't getting enough sleep, quality

of sleep or are sleeping at the wrong times “body clock”, you’re very likely to feel tired

throughout the day. With the brief background given on how sleep works with the cycles

and their purposes, you should have some understanding of the process of sleep.

Which now will allow me to go into the deeper reason for this paper.
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The causes of sleep deprivation can be very extensive, just because you “slept”

doesn’t mean it was healthy sleep. Studies and surveys show some people consider

sleep as wasted time and purposely deprive themselves of sleep to pursue other things

such as entertainment, educational goals, or money making pursuits. This intentional

sleep deprivation is seen more in teenagers and young adults than older people. Others

may unintentionally not get enough sleep due to things like shifts at work, family

obligations, or overly demanding jobs (Films Media Group). The U.S Department of

Health and Human Services states consistent waking up and going back to sleep

patterns, or going to bed late, frequent nighttime arousals, or waking up early can lead

to sleep deprivation. You sleep at the wrong time of day (in other words, you’re out of

sync with your body’s natural clock), or not going through the different types of sleep

cycles that your body needs. Additional causes of sleep deprivation include medical

problems such as depression, obstructive sleep apnea, hormone imbalances, and other

chronic illnesses.

During my interview with Brittney who happens to be my sister she filled me in on

why she is sleep deprived due to a chronic illness of hers. She was diagnosed roughly
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two years ago with fibromyalgia. For those of you who do not know what fibromyalgia is,

it is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by

fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. She stated that since she has this disease,

she finds herself not sleeping well, sometimes not being able to sleep at all due to the

issues it causes her. With the lack of sleep, she has extreme sleep deprivation finding

herself not being able to perform certain tasks as efficiently. She stated this illness and

the side effects of it especially the sleep deprivation it causes has taken a toll on her

work and social life, mental and physical health in ways she never imagined. She made

the comment that she envy’s people who willingly go to sleep or get good sleep

because that’s something she doesn’t see often. She did want to send some advice out

there, to make sure you get all the good sleep you can because you never know when

it’ll be the last time you get it. Based off my interview I got insight on how chronic

illnesses and sleep deprivation play hand in hand. How they can potentially be the

cause for one another in some cases.

Which leads me into the symptoms of sleep deprivation or the side effects of it.

The signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation may differ between children and adults.

Children who are sleep deficient might be overly active and have problems paying

attention. They also might misbehave at home or during school causing their

performance to suffer in most or all areas. Sleep deprived children may feel angry or

impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation. This is just the

behavioral part of it. Research shows that some of these same side effects with

behavior can affect adults too.

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The main symptom of ongoing sleep loss is excessive daytime sleepiness, but

other symptoms include:

 yawning

 moodiness

 fatigue

 irritability

 depressed mood

 difficulty learning new concepts

 forgetfulness

 inability to concentrate or a "fuzzy" head

 lack of motivation

 clumsiness

 increased appetite and carbohydrate cravings

 reduced sex drive

(Felson)

Not getting enough sleep prevents the body from strengthening the immune

system which is vital in fighting infections. Which means a person can take longer to

fight and recover from illness as well as having an increased risk of chronic illness. A

lack of sleep can affect body weight too. There are two hormones in the body, leptin
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and ghrelin, they control feelings of hunger and fullness. The levels of these

hormones are affected by how much sleep you get. Sleep deprivation also causes

the release of insulin, which leads to increased fat storage and a higher risk of type 2

diabetes. For those who do have diabetes already they should strive to get more

healthy sleep to help their illness in a more positive way. Sleep also helps the heart

vessels to heal and rebuild, not sleeping enough increases the risk of cardiovascular

disease. Insufficient sleep can affect hormone production in both genders, including

growth hormones and testosterone in men.

Sleep deprivation over time may include:

 Increased risk for depression and mental illness

 Increased risk for stroke, heart disease, and re-occurring asthma attacks

 Increased risk for potentially life-threatening events, such as car accidents, and

untreated sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy

 Hallucinations

 Severe mood swings

(Sleep Deprivation, Neurology)

Studies show that these can be factors for any gender or age group

depending on how well your body handles sleep deprivation. During my research I

found a useful chart showing the amount of sleep each age group should get. The

National Sleep Foundation (NSF) 2015 recommendations for appropriate sleep

durations for specific age groups are:

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 Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours each day

 Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours

 Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours

 Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours

 School-age children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours

 Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours

 Adults (18 to 64 years): 7 to 9 hours

 Older adults (over 65 years): 7 to 8 hours

I bolded the group that is most relevant to myself and my audience for the simple

fact I felt it would stick more, not that it is more important than the others but just

more relatable.

If you have trouble getting this amount of sleep nightly like I do, I found

potential ways to treat and prevent sleep deprivation. Treatment is usually only

required when a person physically cannot get to sleep by themselves, due to

either a physical or psychological difficulty. A therapist or sleep specialist will be

able to offer guidance and coping techniques for reaching a restful state and

sleeping. There are two main ways of treatment for sleep deprivation: Behavioral

and cognitive measures and medications.

Behavioral cognitive measures/ treatments consist of: Relaxation

techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation techniques, mindfulness

training, breathing exercises, and guided imagery can also help in this area.
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Audio recordings are available that can help a person fall asleep at night as well.

Stimulation control, this involves controlling before bedtime activities and

surroundings to moderate the sleeping pattern. For example, a person controlling

their stimulus would spend time in bed only when they feel sleepy, which controls

the association between being in bed and being ready to sleep. Cognitive

behavioral therapy (CBT), this is a type of therapy designed to help people

understand and change the thought patterns behind certain behaviors. It can

challenge beliefs that may not be healthy and promote rational, positive

thoughts. CBT can help a person to develop a healthier sleeping pattern.

(Medical News Today)

When non-medicinal treatment isn’t effective anymore or at all,

medications are available that can help induce sleep. Some are available over-

the-counter, and some are only available with a valid prescription. There is a

wide range of available options, including benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepine

hypnotics, and melatonin receptor antagonists. However, some people form a

dependency on sleeping medications. It is important to limit the dosage and try to

use non-medicinal treatments first or as much as possible to avoid this possible

risk (Medical News Today).

Some suggestions for good sleep habits that can be done at home are:

 going to bed when tired

 following a routine for going to bed and wake-up times, and keeping it consistent

every day of the week

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 avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime

 if unable to fall asleep after 20 minutes of trying, go to another room and try to

read until feeling sleepy, then return to your bed

 engaging in regular exercise during the day

 keeping the bedroom quiet, dark and a comfortably cool temperature

 turning off electronic devices when you go to bed

(Medical News Today)

These are just some of the examples of the crazy amount of solutions I found

for sleep deprivation. I summed up most of the results studies found plus the

medical sites suggestions on how to prevent or treat sleep deprivation. Ones I felt

were easy to follow or more relatable. I found most of them useful and I hope

someone else will too.

To sum things up based off my research I found so much information behind

sleep, sleep deprivation and how serious getting sleep and losing sleep is. We being

young adults get so caught up in the lifestyle of having fun or being/ doing the “in”

thing. Which isn’t always so bad but risking things like sleep can end up being more

serious than we think. In all honesty we shouldn’t take things like sleep for granted

because it’s precious to our health which we should care more for than the next

event to attend or video to watch. I hope this helps open your eyes, heart, and mind

on how valuable sleep really is for you. Your grades, family and life depend on it.
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Works Cited

Bahrampour, Tara. “Interrupted Sleep May Lead to Alzheimer’s, New Studies

Show.” The Washington Post, 2017. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgbe&AN=edsgcl.49873230

4&site=eds-live.

“Consequences of Insufficient Sleep.” Consequences of Insufficient Sleep | Healthy

Sleep, Harvard Medical School and WGBH Educational Foundation,

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences.

Duffy JF, et al. “Healthy Older Adults Better Tolerate Sleep Deprivation than Young

Adults.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 57, no. 7, July 2009, pp.

1245–1251. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02303.x.

Eske, Jamie. “How Long Can You Go without Sleep?: Effects of Sleep

Deprivation.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International,

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324799.php.

Felson, Sabrina. WebMD, WebMD, 26 Oct. 2018, https://www.webmd.com/sleep-

disorders/guide/sleep-101.

Horowitz, Daniel. “Sleep Deprivation.” Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health,

2019. EBSCOhost,

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-live.
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Oh, Won Oak, et al. “The Mediating Effect of Sleep Satisfaction on the Relationship

between Stress and Perceived Health of Adolescents Suffering Atopic Disease:

Secondary Analysis of Data from the 2013 9th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-

Based Survey.” International Journal of Nursing Studies, vol. 63, Nov. 2016, pp.

132–138. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.08.012.

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2011. EBSCOhost,

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&site=eds-live

“Sleep Deprivation.” Neurology,

http://www.columbianeurology.org/neurology/staywell/document.php?id=42069.

Sleep. [Electronic Resource, Video]. National Geographic Television & Film,

2015. EBSCOhost,

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&site=eds-live.

“Sleep Deprivation: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment.” Medical News Today,

MediLexicon International, 25 Jan. 2018,

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307334.php.

“Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency.” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, 5 June 2019,

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency.

Wells, Brittney. Personal Interview. 20 Oct. 2019