Sleep Deficiency and Disorders - Essay Example

The paper "Sleep Deficiency and Disorders" is an outstanding example of an essay on medical science. Sleep deficiency occurs when a person is unable to get the amount of sleep that is required if that person is to function normally throughout the day. It is a medical problem that can further lead to other sleeping issues, such as insomnia or sleep apnea. Some of the causes of sleep deficiency are stress, aging, medication, weight, behavior, and the sleep environment of the individual. Many of these reasons develop into patterns that can cause severe sleep deprivation. 

Stress, especially now, is one of the leading causes of sleep deficiency. The more a person is stressed, the harder it is for them to fall asleep. The more this happens, the stronger a pattern is formed until they are depriving themselves of many hours that should be spent sleeping. An overactive mind makes it difficult for the rest of the body to settle down when it is time to sleep.
As a person gets older, they begin to lose the need to sleep longer at night, even though it is still required to maintain good health. Old age in itself, with the random pains of arthritis and other pains connected with aging, is enough to keep a person up at night. Restless begins to take over and sleep becomes harder to come by.
Medication is another cause of sleep deficiency, as many medications may induce restlessness or anxiety, which would not allow a person to fall asleep. Since most medications of this kind are prescriptions, the lack of sleep becomes a pattern; unfortunately, it tends to be difficult to break from a sleep-deprived pattern when it is a prescription medication that is causing it.
The more overweight a person is, the harder it is for them to get to sleep. Obesity is another higher cause for sleep deprivation; the individual, while maybe feeling sluggish, may also feel restless and just simply unable to get to sleep. Depending on the kinds of foods that they eat, such as anything that is high in sugar or caffeinated beverages, may also increase their inability to fall asleep.
Behavior, while not a leading cause of sleep deficiency, but one of the most common symptoms, disables a person from settling down enough or getting comfortable to fall asleep. Some people cannot sleep simply because they cannot, whether it is from restlessness or insomnia.
The sleep environment of a person is the most important thing to consider when going to bed. Noises, lights, and other distractions make it difficult for a person's mind to shut down for them to fall asleep. If there is too much going on within the sleep environment, a person is unable to relax their mind enough to sleep, causing restlessness and insomnia, which can lead to sleep deprivation. Read More