Sleep

Sleep

"The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to, then forcing oneself to stay awake for days on end must surely come a close second."

- F Scott Fitzgerald

We spend one third of our lives doing it, and yet, some of us never seem to be able to get enough. People all over the world don't receive enough sleep whether it's from a medical condition like narcolepsy, or simply not having enough time in a day. The effects of getting a good night's rest are essential and signs of sleep depravation are not as hard to spot as one may think.

Sleep can be compared to quicksand, ignore it and you'll find yourself trapped. It will take over you're body and if you try to fight it, the more it wins. The effects of not receiving enough sleep are not uncommon. Sleep depravation has been used throughout history and is common as a form of torture in many POW camps (Victims of Sleep Depravation). Countries, including the United States have used this method to extract information from prisoners. It leaves no physical markings but its psychological effects can be very harmful. Victims will literally go crazy. Those who have gone through it say that no sleep is even worse than starvation.

The number of people who suffer from a lack of sleep is growing. This is largely contributed to the increased popularity of late night TV and use of the internet. How many of us can honestly say that we turned the television off in the middle of our favorite show so that we may go to bed at a reasonable hour?

While driving a lack of sleep can be just as harmful, if not more, than driving while drunk.

"We had three of our grandchildren in the back seat. They were singing and the radio was blasting and he went off the road. He said he was all right. I was going to drive, but he said I'm fine, I'm fine. The next day I called the doctor." (Sleep Apnea)

Almost half of Americans drive while drowsy. One out of every five drivers actually had to pull over and take a nap. Compared to alcohol, which only slows you're reflexes, driving while drowsy makes the driver completely unaware of his or her surroundings. This can be extremely dangerous for motorists especially truckers, who more often than not, drive late into the night. (Drowsiness on motorists)

Adults are not the only ones effected by a lack of sleep. A one-year-old baby will sleep 16 out of the 24 hours in a day (Jeffrey and Finkel 687). While adults should average 8 hours a night, it is recommended that children, from toddlers to teens, should receive a minimum of 9 hours a night. It is estimated that only 15 percent actually get these amounts (Kids Suffer from Sleep Deprivation). This is particularly important for students who wish to do well in school. Dr. Carl Hunt, the director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, is spearheading a sleep campaign. Her philosophy is, "Sleep well, do well." This is something that shouldn't be taken to lightly. Sleep problems effect about 70 million Americans of all ages. Teens often have problems with daytime sleepiness. The old idea of early to bed, early to rise isn't necessarily the best answer. Society is simply asking to much of teens (Sleep experts to teens). A combination of school, work, study and leisure, leaves very little time left for sleep. Being deprived of sleep definitely has an effect on how well students do in school and may be putting their health at risk. College students who stay up all night to study for a test or write a big paper that's due often have no choice because of the pressures to do well and succeed, but at what price do they pay?

Our bodies are like batteries. If we don't get sleep they can't be charged and we'll feel the effects. A toy with dead batteries isn't nearly as fun as when fresh ones are used. Getting sleep everyday is important. The longest someone has gone straight without sleep has been 11 days by Randy Gardner in 1964 who was a sleep test patient. During this period he witnessed hallucinations in which he started talking to a street sign. There were also delusions where he became a pro football player. Regardless there are no signs of long-term physical or mental damage from someone staying awake for this amount of time. After sleeping for two straight days Mr. Gardner came out of the test fine (Night Fever). If kept longer in a state of constant wakefulness a person could die from the stress it causes. You're brain is really the only organ that is effected by a lack of sleep, specifically the cerebral cortex, which is really the part of the brain that makes us human. Without it we would act like dormant robots. The very qualities that make us human would be gone.

Studies have confirmed that sleep is essential for creativity. Even when we are asleep our brains keep functioning and working on problems that give us trouble during the day. After adequate sleep work becomes easier and problems that may have given us trouble are now doable. Problem solving skills, creativity, and common sense are directly related with the amount of sleep we get. (Sleep Essential for Creativity)

There are numerous dieses related with sleep or lack there of. One of the most common is insomnia or the inability to fall asleep. This effects just about everyone at some point in their lives and usually targets the elderly. Waking up to early in the morning, having difficulty getting back to sleep and fatigue are all signs of insomnia. What really separates someone who just receives to little sleep and someone with insomnia is the inability to perform daily tasks. When you are too drowsy to accomplish anything during the day this could be an insomnia problem. Treatment includes setting up a sleep schedule and certain diets. (Insomnia)

Another disease, which is the opposite of insomnia and effects about 0.03% of the population, is narcolepsy. The need for sleep, at all times of the day, regardless of how much sleep one gets at night, is what narcolepsy patients go through. Sometimes this urge to get to sleep is so strong that one may fall asleep at random times and pass out, also known as rag doll syndrome. Unlike Insomnia this disease is strongest during the teen years. It is also hereditary, an unfair aspect of any disease. There is also no cure, although with therapy, symptoms can be less sever. (Narcolepsy Information)

One more sleep related disease, which is probably the most common among Americans, is sleep apnea. This is a sleeping disorder where one actually stops breathing during sleep. It's most commonly herd, not by the patient, but friends or family. Anyone who snores has a mild case of sleep apnea (Ciampa). Many of those who