Sleep: Underrated in America - Essay Example

Insert Introduction Sleep is conventionally referred to as a naturally recurring that is characterized by relatively suspended sensory activities, absent or abated level of consciousness and a general inactivity of almost all suspended muscles. This means that sleep is quite distinct from a coma and quiet wakefulness stemming from the inability to respond to stimuli. In a highly capitalist world which is characterized by cutthroat competitiveness, the incessant quest for profit maximization and an unrelenting pressure to achieve, the tendency to sidestep or disregard sleep as a sacrosanct part of man’s life has become increasingly profound.

The reality and the consequence of this development are therefore divulged upon, in the discussion that ensues forthwith. Paul observes that sleep is a behavior which inheres all complex living organisms and human beings spend a third of their lives in it. Paul is categorical that most industrialized societies do not get proper amount of sleep and that this trend eventually brings about catastrophic effects on people’s personal lives, physical and mental health. The concomitance between industrialization and sleep complications has its underpinnings in the adoption of the 24-hour economy and the misconception that sleep is one of the least productivity human activities while being busy is attributed as a symbol of status.

To this effect, while the human body is designed to sleep on a 24-hour cycle, sleep is regarded as a less important part of life (Paul, 22). The aforementioned problem is also underscored by developments that take place in different lines of profession. In the medical profession for instance, sleep in general, and sleep disorders are assigned only 15 minutes on average, leaving physicians and other medical practitioners too ill-equipped to appreciate the real benefits or implications of respecting or disrespecting proper amounts of sleep.

The gravity of the development above is that with the increasing underestimation of the importance of sleep, medical expenses soar and medical intervention becomes less successful. This is because, sleep has therapeutic value. Research results strongly show that adhesive ad cohesive forces of the body are best at work during sleep. The rationale behind this development is that it is during sleep when elements of nutrition which are responsible for the production of adhesive and cohesive forces are secreted the most.

Particularly, it is during sleep that the body uses vitamin K, calcium ions and iron to secrete platelets, which are in turn enmeshed in a dense network of insoluble fibrin molecules. It is for this reason that wounds are found to have improved faster after a night’s sleep, than any other occasion. This is to the effect that lack of enough sleep slows down the pace of recovery and undermines the possible success of a physician’s medical intervention (Ince, 56). Paul continues to wax polemical that other technological developments such as the invention of the light bulb have greatly contributed to the current trend of sleep deprivation.

This is obviously because, with the invention of the light bulb, man was provided with a source of light and the prospects of staying awake even throughout the night became a reality. Particularly, Paul is categorical that after the invention of the light bulb, fewer pieces of literary works featured depictions of sleep, compared to the situations which preceded the light bulb (Paul, 45). The import of the foregoing is that the culture of disregarding sleep brings about economic implications as medical attention is diverted to giving the consequent physical and mental implications that lack of adequate sleep brings.

Similarly, it is a fact that a population that is ailing from sleep disorders is one that has lower extents of keenness and concentration span. Given that the same society has a higher proclivity to mental and physical complications, it is logical that cases of optimal productivity in the corporate, civil or entrepreneurial sectors are likely to experience stunted growth. In a closely related wavelength, there are also observations that there is a direct correspondence between the increasing culture of disregarding sleep and the increasingly frequent spates of road accidents and industrial mishaps.

The explanation behind this is that absence of proper sleep undermines concentration span and denudates the degree of alertness. Conversely, McKenzie reputes the undermining of the importance of sleep as a factor that has played a critical role in the dwindling extents of academic performance among children. McKenzie argues that while many think that the invention of the light bulb has bestowed students with the chance to read widely and late into the night (and thereby helping students improve their intelligence), the reverse is true.

McKenzie observes that this is because sleep is a salient feature in a child’s personal development. To develop intellectually, a child must be physically sound. In turn, to be physically sound, a child must have obtained enough sleep. McKenzie continues that this does not apply to child learners, but also to their older counterparts (McKenzie, 66). Because of the foregoing, there is veracity in observing that the importance of sleep permeates all spheres of human existence so that any civilization which is keen on developing must place emphasis on the need to allocate enough time for sleep.

Works Cited Ince, Susan. The Science of Sleep. New York: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print McKenzie, William. “Significance of Sleep in the 21st Century World.” Journal of Medical Psychology, 2.3 (2010), 66. Print Paul, Martin. A Third Life. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print