Am I Sleep Deprived - Essay Example

Am I Sleep Deprived? John M. Doe Writing Assignment for PSYC 100.09 Fall Introduction Sleep plays an important role in the mental and physical development and well – being of an individual. Understanding how sleep can create different responses and impacts among individuals can determine how much sleep one should get as well as whether this is a serious issue among individuals. While evaluating the role of sleep and the impact it has on one’s well – being, it was noted that being sleep deprived can lead to other more serious health and mental problems. More important, the role and function of sleep can cause one to function differently throughout the day, both mentally and physically, and can change the capabilities which one has while moving through basic, daily functions. Focusing on ways to prevent sleep deprivation and moving toward practices of healthy sleep can assist one with mental, physical and emotional activities through daily life. Importance of Sleep The importance of sleep begins with the stages of sleep which occur as well as how this affects different stages that one goes through with the activities in the mind. The main cause of sleep is based on wave patterns in your mind that balance the sleeping and waking systems. When the wave patterns slow down, it communicates to the mind that the body should also move slower, which leads to sleep. The result is a slower pattern of brain waves which is required for certain periods of time each night. There are four stages of sleep that are a part of the cycle. Stage 1 is a light sleep where the heart rat slows down and breathing is irregular. Relaxation and alpha waves, a slower brainwave, are the two features of stage 1 sleep. Stage 2 leads to a drop of temperature and spindles of brainwave activity. Stage 3 leads to delta waves in the brain which are larger and slower than other brainwaves. Stage 4 is deep sleep and is typically reached after 1 hour. This is a slow wave of delta and can lead to a lack of consciousness from the brain (Coon, Mitterer, 186). The stages associated with sleeping are an indicator of why sleep is needed as well as what occurs when one gets enough sleep. If one doesn’t receive enough of stage 4 sleep, it can become detrimental to health, both physically and mentally. The body requires the brainwaves to move at a slower pace for a given period of time and to begin to change and relax for given periods of time. Learning, memory and functions that are associated with mental capacity aren’t able to function at full capacity if one doesn’t receive enough sleep. The complications occur with neuronal assemblies that are not able to create the correct traces through the mind as slower brain waves are required for the brain to move back to normal functioning. If one continuously doesn’t get enough sleep, then it can lead to fragmented traces for learning, memory and other capacities in the mind. If this continues, then both physical fragmentation and mental disorders may result. A known problem comes with mood changes, such as depression. However, if this continues, then other mental and emotional responses may occur (Maquet, 1048). How Sleep Deprivation Affects Behavior The concept of sleep is one that is essential specifically because of the biophysical needs for neurons to restructure while brainwaves move at a lower and relaxed pace. Information acquired while being awake can then be stored through processing, recalling and storing the knowledge that was given. Neural assemblies can then restructure to provide stronger memories and biophysical mechanisms that are connected. The role and function of sleep also becomes essential in structuring emotional and physical memories. Spatio – temporal synchrony, for instance, provides more options for the mind to recover and to recall the physical and emotional concepts which were applied during the day. One’s overall well – being is then be attributed to the use of sleep (Sejnowski, Destexhe, 208). When looking at personal reflections of sleep from a diary kept, are noted components that relate specifically to physical, mental and emotional awareness. For instance, on day 4, I had 9 hours of sleep and didn’t wake up during the night. The alertness which I had throughout the day was at a higher level and led to feelings of being active, vital and alert throughout the day. More important, relaxation and cheerfulness were easier to obtain throughout the day. This can be compared to day 6, which was the lowest point of sleeping through the day. Although I received 8 hours of sleep, I awoke 2 times during the night and stayed awake for over 1 hour. The next day led to drowsiness, inability to have energy and feeling foggy. It became difficult to physically move at a fast pace and to remain alert throughout the day. More important, there were difficulties in mental alertness while going through daily routines (Evaluation from Dement, 1). The sleep diary which was used can also be evaluated with the overall changes. The evaluation noted that sleep deprivation was not seen with the temptation to fall asleep during the day or with equivalent problems which were linked to physical behaviors in given environments and circumstances. However, the need to wake up with an alarm clock and waking up during the night were consistent problems noted from the diary. The sleep deprivation was then linked to mood, behavior, mental capacities and different physical actions which were taken. More important, the sleep deprivation was one that wasn’t consistent. After receiving a good night of rest, the next day would have times where sleep was inconsistent. This showed that there are other physical and mental relations to the sleep deprivation which link to overall problems with sleeping. These examples are linked to the problems which arise from sleep deprivation. In the above examples, sleep played a specific role in the ability to function throughout the day. Being cheerful or groggy was the main mood which was considered in each. It was also noted that the sleep deprivation led to physical feelings of exertion and behaviors which followed. On the days when not enough sleep was given, there was the inability to mentally apply different concepts and to work more consistently throughout the day. However, sleep deprivation as noted from this diary was not as serious as others, specifically because there weren’t problems with other noticed physical changes, such as falling asleep when watching TV or during lectures. If one is sleep deprived at other levels, then it is possible to cause more problems and more serious issues. The effects of sleep deprivation can become serious if it is not compounded or stopped as it affects emotional, physical and mental performance on several levels. If sleep deprivation is not taken care of during the beginning phases, then the problems can become more serious and may not provide the correct responses to those that are suffering from this problem. REM sleep deprivation in humans can be avoided, specifically by changing the frequency of brain waves and changing the activity in the brain. This can help individuals to receive the necessary effects from sleep deprivation while creating a recovery path from the difficulties with sleep. To do this, an understanding of how brainwaves and physical patterns alter the way in which one is able to sleep (Endo et al, 1186). To further the ability to prevent sleep deprivation, many have looked at ways in which this can be physically altered through specific tests. A current research study, (Kerr, Jowett, 938), has shown that patterns even among infants can be altered for more efficient sleep. In this study, a control group of infants and a second group were given intervention methods and regular methods for sleep. Those that were in the intervention method group were able to have more efficient methods for sleep with fewer night waking difficulties. The intervention methods also led to differences not only directly after the experiment, but also lasted when re-evaluated after 9 months. This implies that intervention methods, such as changing patterns and physical relaxation methods can naturally help those who are suffering from sleep deprivation. Infants and adults can both use different intervention methods to assist with brain activity and the basic changes required for physical activity before sleep (Kerr, Jowett, 938). Conclusion Sleep deprivation is one that affects several physically, mentally and emotionally. The outcome ranges from the inability to function completely throughout the day to severe disorders which are created from fragmentation which is a result of problems with sleep. The concept of sleep is one that is vital importance, specifically because it changes the way in which one associates with mental and physical capacities. This is combined with specific needs that the brain has to rejuvenate naturally. Understanding sleep deprivation and the associations with mental and physical well – being can then lead to direct methods to prevent the problems and to begin moving toward remedies to ensure rest among individuals. References Coon, Dennis, John Mitterer. (2008). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior. New York: Cengage Learning. Dement, William. (1999). The Promise of Sleep. New York: Random House. Endo, Takuro, Corinne Roth, Hans Landolt, Esther Werth, Daniel Aeschbach, Peter Achermann, Alexander Borbely. (1998). “Selective REM Sleep Deprivation in Humans: Effects on Sleep and Sleep EEG.” American Journal of Physiology. (274). Kerr, Susan, Sarah Jowett. (1996). “Preventing Sleep Problems in Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Advanced Nursing (24), (5). Maquet, Pierre. (2001). “The Role of Sleep in Learning and Memory.” Science 2 (294). Sejnowski, Terrence, Alain Destexhe. (2000). Brain Research (886), (1). Read More