Sleep Deprivation

Sleep Deprivation
Introduction
Attention Material: Blame it on the light bulb. College students and individuals across the country are suffering from a health problem that can be more detrimental to their health than some forms of cancer. What is it? Sleep Deprivation.
Motivation Material: People are losing sleep daily, in such a fashion that most have trouble staying awake during work, driving, or even in class.
Thesis & Overview: Sleep deprivation is a serious medical situation that can harm your everyday life. Today I’m going to explain what sleep deprivation is, causes for the problem, how to remedy the problem, and how to test yourself to see if you suffer from sleep deprivation.
Body

I. What is sleep deprivation?
A. Sleep deprivation – The condition of being deprived of sleep either under experiment or under real life conditions, as distinguished from being unable to sleep. Sleep Deprivation can even affect acne development, and cause bad hair days.
B. The cold was thought to be one of the greatest inflictions among Americans, when it actually causes drowsiness. (Stedman, “Tired of being tired”)
1. 40 percent of American adults admit that their work suffers when they are sleepy.
2. Even more so, College students suffer more than anyone with odd hours and periodic naps during the day.

II. What aids in the accumulation of Sleep debt? A. Sleep life is a factor. (Sleep Deprivation) 1. Disrupting associations with the bed and bedroom, diet troubles, and mental state all affect the ability to sleep. a. Regular activities in the same room as you sleep in can disrupt and disturb sleeping patterns such as working in the room, watching television, even sex. b. Remedies: Before bed take a hot bath (temperature change causes drowsiness), eat light dinners, and have a light snack at least every three hours for maximum energy and minimum fatigue, Drink plenty of H20. Mental state is another factor, extreme boredom, and extreme stress can both prevent sleep as well as promote it.

B. Natural Remedies 1. Chamomile – Provides soothing comfort from the aromatic smell, allows peace before falling asleep. When ingested in a caplet form it is a type of painkiller as well as sleep inducers. 2. Hops- Yes, what they use to make beer a mild sedative is used to treat insomnia in its herbal form. Like beer, it can have slight depression inducing effects.

III. If you are not getting enough sleep, it can lead to health problems.

A. A simple test can evaluate sleep deprivation ( Test passed out, evaluate yourself afterwards) B. Health problems resulting from sleep deprivation include 1. Decreased Immune System activity 2. Development of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 3. May be the start or result of a sleep disorder: a. Sleep Apnea-(Snoring and stopping of breathing during sleep) b. Insomnia. 4. Could be a sign of depression.

C. Sleep deprivation is one of the main causes for death among those who fall asleep at the wheel of a moving vehicle as well as those who slowly drift to sleep during a lecture in class.

(Internal summary) (Sleep Deprivation is a compound entity with ties to many other forms of problems with one’s health.)

Conclusion

Sleep deprivation is a condition that effects how well someone functions during the day, and can be caused in numerous ways. A self-test was administered so that everyone can evaluate how well they are sleeping, if you are having difficulty sleeping, evaluate your patterns to find a solution. If you find yourself falling asleep during class, at the wheel, or unable to concentrate during the day, try to get more sleep; it just might save your life.

Reference

Stedman, Nancy. “Tired of being tired”? Good Housekeeping Aug2000 Vol 232 Issue 2. Pg. 72

On-Line Medical Dictionary Academic medical Publishing & Cancer WEB 1997-98

Fahey, Valerie “How sleep deprived are you?” Health March 2000 Vol. 14 Issue 2 p.112