The Psychological Effects from Sleep Deprivation - Essay Example

Sleep Deprivation Sleep deprivation results from a general lack of sleep. This is a very common ailment within people and usually arises from stress, sleep disorders, deliberate methods of torture on people, etc. It has been known that sleep deprivation can also arise from hunger and thirst and thus the element of taking in food and drinks gains quite a bit of importance. Sleep deprivation is usually coupled with a lot of fatigue and boredom which remains with the patient throughout the day. He also feels lethargic and throws up most of the times during the day. The psychological effects resulting from sleep deprivation include the aching muscles which suggest that human muscles require a certain amount of sleep before they could be put to good use again. (Malhotra, 2002) is of the view that these muscles require air from breathing and relaxation which does not take place when sleep deprivation is playing havoc with the life of the patient. It is important that proper inhaling of oxygen and exhaling of carbon-dioxide takes place within the sleeping patterns so that muscles do not ache and offer any sort of problem for the patient under discussion. In addition, sleep deprivation can lead to blurred vision and this would mean that the patient's eyes would offer him pain and trouble all day long, until he gets back to sleep and completes the much needed duration of sleep. Blurred vision under excessive sleep deprivation periods could mean problems for the eyes in the long run and hence issues could arise of serious nature for the patient as well. One more psychological effect of sleep deprivation lies in the fact that the patient becomes depressed and hence the illness is referred to as the clinical depression. This is important to understand because it could mean resorting to anti-depressant drugs, which in the end suggest further problems for the patient as well. (Kushida, 2005) thinks that he might become addictive to these drugs and hence it could become his habit each night before going to sleep. Sleep deprivation could also mean constipation for the patient and hence his stomach disorders could result from the same problem. This could either be for a short period of time or at times turns into a long duration issues. However it is best advisable to keep away from sleep deprivation problems so that constipation-related issues do not arise. Another common ailment related with sleep deprivation is in the form of dark circles, which form up under the eyes of the patient. These are usually known to be very common amongst the youth of present times as they remain hooked onto Internet and TV and sleep just before dawn. Furthermore, sleep deprivation could mean daytime drowsiness and naps and this is essentially a very tiring routine for the patient. (Ledoux, 2008) opines that the people who generally work during the day find themselves under serious trouble if they want to get a short time sleep or a nap in the day. They thus remain affected by sleep deprivation for the worst possible reason and hence their moods become cranky and it seriously hurts their personality as well. Sleep deprivation could also mean problems in terms of excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS for short which means that the patient undergoes certain urges to sleep for a very short duration as he feels tired and lazy while on job or whilst performing a certain task. Decreased mental activity and concentration is another issue that crops up due to sleep deprivation. What this means is the fact that sleep deprivation makes the person feel lethargic and he has the urge to do less work and sleep whilst on job. He feels that he cannot give proper concentration to a particular job and his concentration gets shifted very quickly. Also he would feel that his attention span has reduced considerably as he feels the desire to sleep for a certain amount of time but is unable to do so for more than one reason. A person also feels that he might faint at any moment since he becomes lazy and pretty weak whilst performing different tasks during the day. (Antrobus, 1992) suggests that sleep deprivation makes him feel that he will faint at any moment and thus there would be serious commotion around him as a result. Hand tremors are another aspect that stem from sleep deprivation and these are serious psychological problems which must be addressed with the help of an able and qualified psychiatrist at the earliest. Hand tremors would mean that the patient is unable to hold on to things and that there are jerks and shakes whilst holding light crockery or in the performance of different chores during the day. A person also becomes irritable easily and he loses his appetite for a certain amount of time due to the ailment of sleep deprivation. (Mcnamara, 2004) asserts that there are serious memory lapses within the patient and he feels that he has been shunted out of a certain activity or event within his life. Sleep paralysis is another illness that could arise from sleep deprivation since this is a condition in which the patient is fully awake yet he cannot move his body, eyes or hands. Once again, this is a serious issue and requires psychiatric help at the earliest. In the end, it would be wise to suggest that a person limits his activities during the day so that he could find time to sleep. Sleep deprivation has a number of drastic effects on the body and all of these are negative more than anything else. (Carskadon, 2002) is of the view that within children, sleep deprivation could mean that they would throw tantrums coming from their temper issues. It is best advisable to force children to sleep early so that their mental and physical growth does not get affected in a negative fashion. Weight loss as well as certain examples of weight getting gained is also seen within individuals who have been affected by sleep deprivation issues in the past. Indeed sleep deprivation is a slow killer and it is for the betterment of one and all to realize this problem - the sooner the better. Works Cited Antrobus, John. The Neuropsychology of Sleep and Dreaming. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992 Carskadon, Mary. Adolescent Sleep Patterns: Biological, Social, and Psychological Influences. Cambridge University Press, 2002 Kushida, Clete. Sleep Deprivation: Basic Science, Physiology, and Behavior. Marcel Dekker, 2005 Ledoux, Sarah. The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Brain and Behavior. 2001 Third Web Report, Found Online at: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1690 3 January 2008 Malhotra, Atul. Sleep Disorders: Diagnosis, Management and Treatment: A Handbook for Clinicians. Martin Dunitz, 2002 Mcnamara, Patrick. An Evolutionary Psychology of Sleep and Dreams. Praeger, 2004 Word Count: 1,037 Read More