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Summer Wiford

ENG 1201

Professor Scot Johnson

4 April 2020

Sleep Affects Mental and Physical Health

Have you ever heard the quote, "Sleep is the golden chain that binds health and our bodies

together?" (Dekker) This quote is accurate, without sleep, our health and our bodies would

worsen, and we would not be able to function properly in life. Have you ever not slept and felt

like you got hit with a car and are just not ready for the day? Lack of sleep can take away your

energy and make you feel that way. Lack of sleep can have long term unwanted effects,

especially for young adults in the future.

What is sleep? Most people know that our bodies get worn out, and we need rest, and that is why

we need sleep. Sleep is a bit more critical than that! Sleep is a specific frame of time where the

brain can engage in certain activities that are necessary for life functioning. [ CITATION Joh20 \l

1033 ]

Sleep is essential because it has a significant effect on brain function and overall health,

both mental and physical. Therefore, when we are younger, we need to sleep more. Our brains

and bodies are growing and improving our daily functions and processes while we sleep. Our

bodies do not stop growing until we hit a certain age. It is essential for younger adults and

younger children to take the time and get as much sleep as their body needs. This will allow their

bodies to grow more and become the best they can be.

During the day, our bodies build up the desire to sleep. Once it reaches a certain point, we

become tired and generally prepare to sleep. According to John Hopkins Medicine, when you

sleep for the correct amount of time, you are helping the brain's plasticity, or the brains ability to
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change and adapt. If we do not get enough sleep at night, we increase the chances of health risks

like depression and anxiety. Not getting enough sleep keeps us from becoming able to learn new

information as well as remembering it in the future. This happens because our brains did not

have the chance to complete the critical tasks that are necessary for these basic daily functions.

According to researchers at John Hopkins Medicine, sleep also helps to increase metabolism and

promote waste removal from the brain cells. Most people have no idea these crucial things

happen while we sleep.

According to neurologist Mark Wu, MD., Ph.D., there are two key processes to sleep:

sleep drive and circadian, which is a process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle that repeats

about every 24 hours. Without these essential processes, we would not be able to sleep. If we pay

attention our brains have biological clocks that tell us when we need to wake up and go to sleep [

CITATION Joh20 \l 1033 ]. According to the article by John Hopkins Medicine sleep is a cycle that

has different stages. The first stage is called Non-REM, which consists of: falling asleep, light

sleep, and deep sleep. The next stage is called REM sleep. During these stages, the eyes will

rapidly move behind the eyelids, although you do not feel your eyes racing. Our breath rate also

increases, and our bodies become temporarily paralyzed as we dream. Dreams are also essential

to sleep. Most of the time, we do not remember our dreams, but they are a way for our brains to

process information.

Have you ever tried to write a paper overnight? If you were in college or high school,

chances are you have been in this position before. It is not a very healthy habit to pull “all-

nighters”. Most young adults do not understand how sleep is essential and how it can have long

term effects. Many young adults stay up all-night because of homework, playing video games,

work, and even partying. Every time someone loses any amount of sleep, they start giving up
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their portions of happiness due to the positive mental effects that sleep can have, and they are not

receiving. According to the National Sleep Foundation, people with insomnia or those that do not

sleep, are ten times as likely to have clinical depression and are also 17 times more likely to have

clinical anxiety than someone who usually sleeps the recommended amounts of time.

The American Sleep Association says that lack of sleep increases the chances of many

sleep disorders to develop, including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep deprivation,

snoring, circadian rhythm disorders, and night terrors. Some of my friends and family members

have these sleep disorders and have seen how sleeping can be a struggling task at times. My

stepfather was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, which means he stops breathing in his sleep.

Each time he stops breathing, he ends up waking himself up to gasp for air, which keeps him

from getting a good night's sleep. He wakes up feeling tired, restless, and not energetic enough to

take on the day. He also experienced headaches, and his eyes were heavy.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, "In a study of nearly 19,000 people, the

people with sleep apnea were five times as likely to suffer from clinical depression." They

explained that a cause for this correlation is not being able to get fully rested night after night,

which alters brain activity, creating a chemical imbalance that causes depression affecting a

person's mood.

In a TED Talk by Dr. Matthew Carter a professor in the Biology Department who teaches

Neuroscience and Physiology, proposed that sleep deprivation is just as bad as overeating junk

food and smoking cigarettes. Many people do not compare sleep deprivation to smoking because

they cannot see the health risks. Others will brag about how they do not sleep because they want

people to perceive that they are hard workers. However, I think that this behavior might change

if they found out how much they were hurting their bodies and increasing their risks of illnesses
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by not sleeping. In his TED talk, Dr. Carter also stated that when you do not get enough sleep at

night, you are more likely to get sick because your cells are not healthy enough to fight off the

viruses and infections in your body.

Sleep Deprivation keeps kids from being focused in school, remembering what they

learn, and even affects how they perform in sports. Dr. Matthew Carter refers to a study done at

Stanford University, where varsity athletes and students were put into a study that made sure

they reached the recommended amount of sleep every night. According to the results, the athletes

that got the recommended amount of sleep were faster, more reliable, and made fewer mistakes

during plays, and the students that got the recommended amount of sleep were more creative,

energetic, and were able to focus and learn more information. This information actually made me

try to get the daily recommended amount of sleep each night for a week and I have seen

differences. I am happier and more motivated and focused when completing my assignments and

daily tasks throughout the day.

Another scary thing about sleep deprivation is when your body gets tired enough; it will sleep no

matter what you are doing or where you are. In the documentary Sleepless in America, the main

character lost his wife, son, and daughter in a car accident because of someone who was behind

the wheel that was sleep deprived. Many car accidents and work-related injuries have been

proven to be a result of people being sleep deprived. They will work their bodies so much that

they will fall asleep in dangerous situations, like behind the wheel.

When people are sleep deprived, it not only affects the individual but affects those around

them. When you are sleep deprived, it can also affect your family members due to the mood

changes and lack of energy you exhibit as you try to get through the day.
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There have been studies on sleep deprivation to see if it increases pain sensitivity. The

data gained in these studies concluded that, "sleep deprivation increases the pain sensitivity to

cold pain stimuli and pressure, which indicates that it affects both the central and peripheral pain

pathways (Staffe, Alexander Torp, et al.).”

According to Neurologist and Sleep Medicine Specialist Brandon Peters, "some physical

effects of sleep deprivation include the same effects of drinking alcohol, like uncontrolled

reflexive movements of the eye, slurred speech, even slight shakiness as well as increased risk of

seizures" The article by Brandon Peters also states that sleep deprivation causes cancer and

memory problems. There have also been extreme cases of extended sleep deprivation that have

resulted in death.

Making sure you get the right amount of sleep is essential and the recommended amount

of sleep varies based on age. According to the National Sleep Foundation, "the sleep range for a

newborn is 14-17 hours, infants are recommended to sleep 12-15 hours, toddlers 11-14 hours.

Preschoolers' sleep range is from 10-13 hours; school-aged children from 9-11 hours, teenagers'

8-10 hours, Adults should sleep 7-9 hours nightly, and older adults should get 7-8 hours of

recommended sleep each night." These hours are very interesting, especially how the older we

get the less sleep we need. Most adults are recommended to get 7-9 hours of sleep at night, but

more than one-third of US adults have reported getting only up to 6 full hours of sleep and they

just struggle to get through each day (NCBI.) This data means there are many people out there

functioning in the world that are at risk for mental or health issues or affecting others with their

sleep deprived behaviors every day.

In the Columbus dispatch, Lloyd Jones says, "Sleep hygiene is incredibly important. Bad

sleep hygiene can increase the risk of high blood pressure, weight problems, poor eating habits,
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and heart problems." Jones also states in the article that "in a study published in the Journal of

the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that getting less than 6 hours of sleep at

night is associated with plaque buildup in the arteries, which is a leading cause of cardiovascular

disease." Shocking isn’t it? It is hard to imagine increasing your risk of heart diseases and dying

just by not getting enough sleep at night. Someone close to me had a heart attack and had to have

surgery to remove plaque buildup in their arteries. Thinking back, I now notice that they almost

never slept for more than 6 hours at night. This may not be conclusive proof that sleep played a

part in their heart attack but when you see what they must go through now, it makes you want to

take sleep more seriously.

Since sleep is so important, why is it so hard to accomplish getting enough? There are a

lot of factors in life that keep us from getting enough sleep, but one major factor is technology.

Cellphones, computers, and televisions are being blamed for keeping people awake at night due

to the emission of blue light. Blue light rays are wavelengths that contain more energy. When we

look at our devices, the blue light stimulates daylight and keeps our brains from producing

melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall and stay asleep[ CITATION Jea17 \l 1033 ]. Do you sleep

with your phone right beside you? Many people do for different reasons. With their phones right

beside them, individuals can end up waking up in the middle of the night, then get on their

phones to check time, messages or social media. This disrupts their sleep and keeps them awake

longer and results in people receiving less than the recommended amount of sleep each night. It

might be a good idea that the next time you go to sleep, turn on blue light filters if you have one,

try to put your phone away early or further away from you, so you do not get tempted to check it

in the middle of the night, and you just may sleep better.
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Another major impact of not getting enough sleep is diminishing productivity at work or

in daily tasks. Many people work hard and have a lot on their plates, so they will end up not

sleeping because they feel like they will be more productive this way. This is not true. Staying

awake longer at night and not sleeping to be productive limits you from being more productive.

As stated earlier in this essay taking the time to get a full night's rest at night gives you more

energy and allows you to become more productive. After my self-experiment with sleeping the

recommended number of hours, I mentioned above, I found getting the recommended amount of

sleep changed my whole point of view. Now, when I am swamped and need to be productive, I

make sure I get a full night's rest so that I wake up more energetic and focused to complete the

tasks I need to accomplish.

Other reasons for sleep deprivation can include caffeine and certain medications. Some

medications will keep you up all night and make you feel energetic. Just because you may feel

awake at midnight that does not mean you should not try and sleep. Not sleeping because of

certain medications can have effects like depression and anxiety and the amount of time you

have those effects depends on how long you have taken the medicine. Caffeine keeps people

awake at night because it increases your overall energy and ability to focus. If you are about to

start getting ready for bed you should try and stay away from anything that has caffeine in it so

you will not increase your energy levels.

Of course, it is essential that we sleep, but oversleeping is also dangerous and can even be

worse than sleep deprivation in some cases. What is oversleeping? Oversleeping is any amount

of time spent asleep that is over the daily recommended time, which is usually any more than 9

hours of sleep. Many people have experienced oversleeping at least once in their lifetime. It may

feel nice to catch up on some sleep and sleep a little extra. I used to stay up and not sleep a lot,
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but I always ended up feeling more tired and unenergetic afterward. Some people also have

certain conditions where they have to sleep more than seven to nine hours of sleep, which puts

them in danger of health risks.

According to the New York Dispatch, "studies have indicated that getting too much sleep

at night can trigger certain issues, like cognitive impairment, stroke, heart disease, and

depression." The risks are similar to sleep deprivation but, in some ways, are different.

One of the main reasons why oversleeping is so unhealthy is because our bodies are

designed to move during the day and burn off all the energy that gets stored overnight when we

are asleep. According to NYU Dispatch, "If people sleep too much then their bodies are not

moving during the day, and they do not burn up the energy, so it ends up flipping back over into

deficit," (NYU Dispatch) This explains why when we wake up from sleeping too much we feel

groggy and drained with no energy.

It is essential that you do not sleep more than the daily recommended amount and not

oversleep, especially if you are pregnant. According to Marlene Cimons, "Sleeping more than 9

hours a night can have relations to the risk of late stillbirth, which is the loss of a baby before

delivery." In her study, nearly 30 percent of women who had stillbirths slept longer than 9 hours

a night before pregnancy, but an even more significant percent that had stillbirths claimed that

they slept longer than 9 hours while being pregnant.

You may wonder why I decided to write my paper on sleep and how it affects our mental

and physical health. The answer is that I used to get 6 hours of sleep maximum nightly and have

experienced a lot of consequences myself. I struggle with depression, anxiety and have struggled

with not being able to sleep. I wanted to research and learn more to help myself and others

improve their sleeping habits as well as educating people on how important sleep is. Through my
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research and writing this paper, I have learned a lot about sleep, and improved my own sleeping

habits. I have used many of the strategies that have been suggested to help me sleep better at

night. I have bought a weighted blanket, tried meditation, and I even eliminated the blue light

from my phone, so it does not keep me awake. I have noticed my overall mood and ability to

stay focused and more energized has improved a lot since I have been making sure I get enough

sleep each night.

If you are struggling to sleep at night, there are strategies that can help you improve your

sleeping habits. You can make a sleeping schedule to follow where you include the times you go

to sleep and wake up to make sure you get enough sleep. It is recommended that you avoid

taking naps. Naps interrupt your body from increasing your sleep drive and will keep you awake

longer at night. Daily exercise can also assist in sleep. Exercise helps your body become more

tired and will allow you to fall asleep easier. Weighted blankets have been found to decrease

your anxiety and help get a better night's sleep. Turning off all electronic devices or turning off

the blue light from your phone and sleeping in a dark room can assist in better sleep. The last

strategy I recommend is meditation. Certain meditations allow your brain and body to relax by

focusing on your breathing and getting your mind free from stress; meditation can be done

anywhere and anytime. Just because you are busy does not mean that you cannot meditate. There

are different meditations for different occasions and can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an

hour.

In conclusion, sleep does take a lot of time out of our lives, but it is an essential part of

living. Lack of sleep can have long term unwanted effects, especially for young adults. There are

different strategies that can help you improve your sleep and overall health. While improving

your sleep is important, be careful that you do not sleep too much because it is just as dangerous
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as not getting enough sleep. If everyone knew the importance of sleep and were able to get the

recommended amount of sleep our society overall would improve. People in our society would

have more energy; be more productive each day and would even be in better moods that could

influence positive changes around the world.

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Works Cited

American Heart Association News. "5 Threats to Heart Health You May Not Be Aware Of." The

Columbus Dispatch, 19 July 2019, www.dispatch.com/lifestyle/20190719/5-threats-to-

heart-health-you-may-not-be-aware-of

Carter, Matthew, director. The Science of Sleep (and the Art of Productivity). TED, 22 March.

2018,

www.ted.com/talks/dr_matthew_carter_the_science_of_sleep_and_the_art_of_productivi

ty?language=en.

Cimons, Marlene. "Is there a link between oversleeping and stillbirths?" Washington Post, 24

March. 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/A579950579/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=f49e271d. Accessed 12 April 2020.

Dispatch. "Why Oversleeping Is Just as Bad as Sleep Deprivation." The NYU Dispatch, 27

February. 2019, wp.nyu.edu/dispatch/2019/02/20/why-oversleeping-is-just-as-bad-as-

sleep-deprivation/.

Peters, Brandon. "The Critical Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body and Health. Verywell

Health, Verywell Health, 14 March. 2019, www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-the-

physical-effects-of-sleep-deprivation-3015079.

"Sleeping Tips & Tricks." National Sleep Foundation,

www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips

Sleepless in America. Dir. John Hoffman. Perf. National Geographic Channel. 2014

Staffe, Alexander Torp, et al. "Total sleep deprivation increases pain sensitivity, impairs

conditioned pain modulation, and facilitates temporal summation of pain in healthy

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participants." PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 12, 2019, p. e0225849. Gale In Context: Opposing

Viewpoints, https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/A607540225/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=24dfc61a. Accessed 12 April 2020.

"The Science of Sleep: Understanding What Happens When You Sleep." The Science of Sleep:

Understanding What Happens When You Sleep | Johns Hopkins Medicine,

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-

understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep.

Twenge, Jean. "Analysis: Teens Are Sleeping Less. Why? Smartphones." PBS, Public

Broadcasting Service, 19 October 2017, www.pbs.org/newshour/science/analysis-teens-

are-sleeping-less-why-smartphones.