Sleep Deprivation and Its Consequences

We spend about 33% of our lives asleep; sleep is a natural behavioral state and part of every individual’s life.  Unfortunately, many people do not understand the importance of sleep to their everyday activities.  Not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences on a daily and potentially long-term basis for one’s health and mental well-being.

Most people normally have a sense of the relationship between sleep and our ability to function throughout the day (e.g., fatigue, bad mood, or lack of focus that happens following a night of poor or no sleep).  Typically, after we sleep, we recognize what changes we had in our normal motor and cognitive functions because after we sleep we are rested and more alert, and feel able to function.  Our survival depends upon sleep.  Studies (Rechtschaffen 1998) show rats deprived of sleep will die within two to three weeks.

The lack of sleep is currently a highly researched issue and studies have been able to attribute sleep deprivation/debt to accidents and chronic medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and all of these states may lead to a shortened life expectancy.
 

1. Discuss sleepiness by definition and biological clock/circadian rhythm.
2. Describe the meaning of “quantity” and “quality” of sleep.
3. Review the states and stages of sleep.
4. Discuss sleep deprivation and resulting issues with health and driving.