Sleep Deprivation in College - Free Essay Example

Sleep deprivation is a huge problem in the nation, even more so in individuals who are in college. People lack sleep tremendously therefore cause many problems in students performance, among those problems the students academic, social, mental and physical state are disrupted by lack of sleep. Sleep is important because it is an essential element we need each night in order for the body to function properly, as like water and food. A lack of sleep causes many problems in the long run and one of those is sleep deprivation, which is a condition when a person doesnt end up sleeping for a good amount of time and it is either acute or chronic. It also affects both physical and mental health which leads to numerous disorders like depression, anxiety, impairment, insomnia, and sleep apnea. A tremendous number of people suffer from sleep deprivation as such others struggle to sleep every night and continue to having the same lifestyle because they do not realize the long term effects. Sleep deprivation leads to many things that are very harsh to deal with especially for those who have jobs or attend school, because being sleep deprived makes it hard for the body and mind to function right and it makes it very hard to focus in general. It seems that lack of sleep has increased over the past year, and is commonly a problem among college students. A majority of college students have irregular sleeping tendencies, because of the different lifestyle among people. College students will stay up late to study for tests and complete homework, therefore it affects their academic improvements in the future. Drinking caffeine late at night, using electronics devices before going to bed, or sleeping late and waking up early are just a few of the cases which cause sleep deprivation. It is important to realize that even if a person has a long life ahead, one must know that lacking sleep can make life short. According to Dr. Dinges from the University of Pennsylvania, indicates t hat individuals than six hours of sleep a night dont necessarily live as long, unlike people who get seven hours or more. This is important because lack of sleep impacts a persons ability to perform physical activities, in addition it affects cognitive function according to (National Institute of Health). The average amount of sleep for eighteen year olds and up is nine hours at a minimum for numerous reasons. Those reasons include brain development, health and performance. Sleep deprived individuals are at risk for numerous things as like depression, emotional problems, impaired cognitive function, decision making and essentially are caused by anxiety, stress, full time student and work, night shifts and multiple jobs. Unfortunately numerous symptoms are derived from sleep deprivation some in which can be overcome and others not so easily. A person who is sleep deprived include a number of symptoms and those symptoms can make it very difficult to perform well at school or at work. First off several symptoms include daytime drowsiness, difficult waking up, in need of frequent naps, headaches, and hallucinations. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is falling asleep, which brings to another cause of sleep deprivation. A lot of people use electronic devices before going to sleep, yet they have difficult time falling asleep. A study from the University of Harvard showed that using cell phones while sleeping in a dark room brings many problems. As stated blue right can affect your sleep and potentially cause disease(Harvard Health Publishing). This is important because most college students are using cellphones while going to sleep, as such it then leads to sleep disturbances since those blue lights from the electronic device causes the mind to stay awake leading to an inadequate sleep. This shows that most people d ont know the effects of using electronic devices, which is a factor of the cause of sleep deprivation. As stated in the article called Sleep Hygiene which states sleep hygiene involves education and techniques of adaption the reflect appropriate management factors direct and indirect that affect sleep function ( Encyclopedia of Womens Health). Another cause that leads sleep deprivation is insomnia and is essentially when a person is unable to sleep or difficult staying asleep, in addition it is very common, and roughly three million cases per year in the United States are reported. Usually it is tied to stress as well, people are overthinking and stressing out with school, work, other things, that causes for people to build up stress, therefore leading to no sleep and also sleep deprivation. An insufficient amount of sleep of one night or sleep deprivation is the same as being intoxicated, individuals that are sleep deprived dont necessarily function right. For example nights with out sleeping the right amount affects the memory, in other words it harder to remember things, and therefore it affects brain development. There are many people that do not take action about being sleep deprived, and are willing to live their life with very little amount of sleep and that is a big problem since it builds up through time, and causes problems in the long run. It affects their academic performance, work status, and daily lives, because people that are sleep deprived dont live happy since they lack sleep. There is several methods to treat sleep deprivation, but unfortunately not cure it and often times home remedies such as setting up a sleep schedule, avoiding large meals and avoiding using electronics could possibly avoid becoming sleep deprived. In addition other option s is available if nothing changes for the individual. Sometimes visiting a counselor can help with stress, since it leads to sleep deprived, because counselors can help physiologically. The next step would be visiting a therapist or a doctor because they are able to offer guidance and techniques for a better chance to treat those who are sleep deprived. However if visiting the doctor is too much, then there is medical treatment that is available over the counter, like nightquil and prescriptions from the doctor if one is able too, however it is just best to visit a professional so that the best guidance is available. As stated sleep deprivation is most often caused by lifestyle choices and it is necessary for individuals to have a balance schedule and make it a routine. Sleep is an essential element that we all need in in order to function properly, so that one is able to perform their daily routines. There are many options to treat sleep deprivation, but not necessarily cure it and doctors often prescribe medication to deal with sleep deprivation. It is important to always get the right amount of sleep for the body to function properly and to avoid long term problems as depression or anxiety since it is major problem among college students. In conclusion people should seek help since it causes severe problems in the future, especially if nothing is done to treat it. Sleep is an everyday routine that for many individuals it is a problem, different factors influence sleep deprivation, as a result lack of sleep causes many problems in the future.