Psychological Study of Sleep Deprivation - Essay Example

Running Head: PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION Psychological study of sleep deprivation of the of the of the Professor] [Course] Psychological study of sleep deprivation In the rapidly changing world of today, sleep has evolved from a necessity to a luxury. Studies have shown that sleep is an essential physiological requirement that must be fulfilled in order to ensure one's survival (Banks & Dinges, 2007). Sleep and its importance in maintaining healthy psychological and physiological functioning have been emphasized since time immemorial. Biblical traditions dating back to millions of years ago have underscored the significance of the day-night rhythm, which perpetuates the sleep-wake cycle, and its importance for healthy survival (Ancoli-Israel, 2001). Sleep has been shown to serve several purposes. These include restoration of physiological function, energy conservation and facilitation of the healing process (Dotto, 1996). Adequate sleep is thus required for all these purposes. Moreover, studies have elucidated that in addition to adequacy of sleep, the quality of sleep acquired also has major bearing on one's functioning. This fact is emphasized by Dr. Carlyle Smith, professor of psychology at Trent University in the following words: "Whether you're studying for university exams, memorizing the script of a play, learning to drive a car or training intensively for an athletic competition, your performance can be affected not only by how much sleep you have had, but also by what type of sleep you got and when you got it (Dotto, 1996)." Sleep disturbances are fairly common in today's society and with the pressing demands of work, education, etc and the ever-increasing time constraints, sleep deprivation is inevitable and studies have shown a 20% sleep reduction amongst Americans over the past century (Colten & Altevogt, 2006). Sleep deprivation and sleep related problems have been found in an alarmingly high number of people and some studies suggest figures as high as 50 to 70 million amongst Americans (Colten & Altevogt, 2006). There have been varying estimates of the prevalence of sleep deprivation in the society depending on the differing population characteristics. It has been estimated that a total of upto 36% of the population suffers from some degree of chronic sleep deprivation (Bonnet & Arand, 1995). The degree of sleep deprivation has been shown to vary according to different factors such as one's age, occupation, lifestyle, etc. Sleep related issues are most common amongst teenagers, women and adults who are aged greater than fifty years (Virginia Mason Medical Center, 2009). Almost one third of the young adults have been found to be insomniac (Bonnet & Arand, 1995) and almost 58million Americans have been shown to suffer from symptoms of excessive sleepiness throughout the day which impairs their social and functional capacities (Virginia Mason Medical Center, 2009). These figures reflect the gravity of the situation from a public health perspective. The magnitude of the burden of this disorder can also be judged from the exorbitant medical costs, both direct and indirect, which can be attributed to this disorder. Some studies report the costs associated with sleep deprivation and its hazardous consequences to be as high as 56 billion dollars per year (Bonnet & Arand, 1995). The duration of sleep varies within and amongst populations and hence it is difficult to determine the level of sleep which can be defined as adequate. Various studies have concluded that individuals require a minimum of eight hours of sleep per day (Bonnet & Arand, 1995) and recent estimates show that amongst adults, the average number of hours spent sleeping is six hours and 57 minutes which considerably less than that termed as adequate (Virginia Mason Medical Center, 2009). However, these values vary from individual to individual. Thus it becomes relevant to assess the sleep need on an individual basis. This is achieved by letting the individual go to bed in the evening when he/she feels sleepy and letting them wake up without the aid of an alarm. The total time duration hence observed is the individual's sleep requirement (Bonnet & Arand, 1995). Sleep deprivation has detrimental effects on almost all areas of one's functioning including reaction time, short term memory, alertness, and mood (Bonnet & Arand, 1995). Chronic sleep loss predisposes individuals to the development of several heath issues such as depression, hypertension, obesity, heart attack, and stroke (Colten & Altevogt, 2006). The effects of sleep deprivation on behavior are diverse and varied and have a negative impact on both the individual suffering from this problem and the people surrounding him. Studies have shown that a reduction in the duration of sleep by one to one and a half hours per night leads to the reduction in alertness by upto one third (Bonnet & Arand, 1995). Moreover, it has been observed that as the duration of sleep deprivation increases, there are lapses in one's behavioral performance which may range in duration from 0.5 seconds to over 10 seconds and may even progress to short episodes of sleep. This has been termed as "wake-state instability" whereby the intricate balance that normally exists between the sleep inducing and wake maintenance system is altered (Banks & Dinges, 2007). This reduced alertness can lead to several detrimental consequences. This consequence of sleep deprivation is also important in that it not only affects the individual who is himself sleep deprived but also has an impact on other members of the society including the immediate family and also the general population. For example, it has been estimated that almost 20% of car accidents are related with driver sleepiness (Colten & Altevogt, 2006). Epidemiological surveys show that sleep-related vehicle accidents are most common amongst drivers who report to have less than 7 hours of sleep per night (Banks & Dinges, 2007). Similarly, doctors and residents who suffer from sleep deprivation due to the long working hours have been shown to display impaired clinical performance and also mood alterations (Harrison & Home, 2000). This might have potential detrimental outcomes for the patients under their care as demonstrated by Landrigan et al. (2004) who observed a 36% increase in the chances and seriousness of medical errors amongst interns who were sleep deprived as compared to those who received adequate sleep (Ellenbogen, 2005). With regard to the impact of sleep deprivation on mood, extensive research has been carried out. The loss of sleep has been found to be associated with several kinds of mood alterations including impatience, annoyance, lack of social inhibitions, childish attempts at humor and impaired functioning in interpersonal relationships (Harrison & Home, 2000). Interestingly, in contrast to the mood alterations in normal individuals, sleep deprivation has been shown to have mood-enhancing functions in individuals who are depressed (Harrison & Home, 2000). The relationship between sleep and a person's mood and behavior is bi-directional (Dahl, 1999). Sleep disturbances have been shown to trigger mood alterations leading to irritability, aggression, etc and such behavioral consequences, in turn, can further perpetuate sleep disturbances. Thus, individuals with emotional and behavioral problems have difficulties in falling asleep and have poor sleep quality. This leads to a vicious cycle whereby sleep disturbances lead to emotional alterations which in turn lead to further sleep impairments (Dahl, 1999). Sleep deprivation also affects a person's communication skills, thus impairing his/her capacity to communicate his ideas with others effectively (Harrison & Home, 2000). One of the earliest impairment in communication may manifest as impairment in recalling words and then subsequent reduction in speech spontaneity and articulation (Harrison & Home, 2000). This might be frustrating not only for the individual but also have an impact on the others with whom the individual is trying to interact. In addition to these changes, due to increased irritability and decreased patience as observed in sleep deprived individuals, these individuals volunteer factual information less willingly and this limits the accuracy of the ideas communicated between individuals. This has significant bearing in situations such as emergencies where the effective transfer of accurate information is of prime importance (Harrison & Home, 2000). For children, sleep deprivation has hazardous long term consequences since it affects not only a child's brain development but also his/her behavior, impulse control and performance in school. Moreover, children with inadequate sleep display symptoms of depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders (Colten & Altevogt, 2006). Nixon et al. (2008) in their study of the effects of sleep deprivation in adolescents demonstrated that sleep deprivation was associated with emotional lability amongst adolescents. Similarly, sleep deprived children have been shown to display symptoms of hyperactivity, externalizing behaviors and indulgence in high risk behaviors (Owens, Fernando & McGuinn, 2005 cited in Nixon et al., 2008). Moreover, they are also predisposed to sustaining and inflicting non-intentional injuries (Nixon, et al., 2008). All the above discussed behavioral consequences of sleep deprivation amongst children underscore the importance of early sleep education for children to promote healthy sleeping habits throughout an individual's life. Thus in conclusion, sleep acquisition is an important and essential requirement in one's life. Sleep has been shown to serve several functions and is vital maintaining appropriate physiological and psychological health of an individual. Sleep deprivation is common in today's society with the increasing demands and competition, individuals relegate lesser time to sleeping. Sleep deprivation has important consequences and can impair both a person's physical and mental well being. Several well documented adverse effects of sleep deprivation have been elucidated and these include decreased alertness, defective performance of motor tasks, impaired communication skills, mood alterations and long-term effects on physical health such as obesity and increased risk of diseases such as hypertension and stroke. Judging from the enormity of the detrimental consequences that sleep deprivation has for the society as a whole, prompt recognition and adequate and timely management of these disorders is imperative in order to prevent any further long term ramifications, as correctly put by Goethe "Knowing is not enough: we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do (Colten & Altevogt, 2006)." References Ancoli-Israel, S. (2001). "Sleep Is Not Tangible" or What the Hebrew Tradition Has to Say About Sleep. Psychosomatic Medicine , 63:778-787. Banks, S., & Dinges, D. F. (2007). Behavioral and Physiological Consequences of Sleep Restriction. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine , 519-528. Bonnet, M. H., & Arand, D. L. (1995). Are We Chronically Sleep Deprived. Sleep , 908-911. Colten, H. R., & Altevogt, B. M. (2006). Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Dahl, R. E. (1999). The Consequences of Insufficient Sleep for Adolescents Links between Sleep and Emotional Regulation. Phi Delta Kappan . Dotto, L. (1996). Sleep Stages, Memory and Learning. Canadian Medical Association Journal , 1193-1197. Ellenbogen, J. M. (2005). Cognitive benefits of sleep and their loss due to sleep deprivation. Neurology , 25-27. Harrison, Y., & Home, J. A. (2000). The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Decision Making: A Review. Jourllal of Experimental Psychology: Applied , 236-249. Landrigan CP, Rothschild JM, Cronin JW, et al (2004). Effects of reducing interns' work hours on serious medical errors in intensive care units. New England Journal of Medicine;351:1838-1848 Nixon, G., JMD, T., Han, D., Becroft, D., Clark, P., Robinson, E., et al. (2008). Short Sleep Duration in Middle Childhood: Risk Factors and Consequences. Sleep , 71-78. Owens JA, Fernando S, McGuinn M. (2005) Sleep disturbance and injury risk in young children. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 3:18-31. Virginia Mason Medical Center. (2009, March 31). Sleep Deprivation. Retrieved May 9, 2009, from Virginia Mason Medical Center: https://www.virginiamason.org/home/body.cfmid=709 Read More