Luis Verduzco

Professor Briones

English 1302 222

02/07/2022

Sleeps Effect on Motivation

It has been said a billion times, “people need at least 8 hours of sleep in order to function

and be healthy”. However, does that sleep time also contribute to how people will feel and how

well they perform at work or school? This question is tested in the articles “Cholinergic system

in sleep regulation of emotion and motivation” and “Association between sleep quality and nurse

productivity among Korean clinical nurses” as well as through an experiment conducted by a

Texas A&M International student (TAMIU). Through surveys, sleep analysis, and behavioral

analysis, the conclusion that sleep has a profound effect on motivation can be determined.

In recent years experts have emphasized that sleep is detrimental to health. They

recommend that the average adult get anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep. However,

some people’s profession limits how much they can sleep. This is a constant struggle for nurses

since they have to always be accurate with their work while also working long shifts which can

inhibit how much they can sleep. These factors make them a prime group to study for the effects

of sleep on motivation. In May of 2014 a cross-sectional survey was conducted on one hundred

and eighty-eight nurses who work in acute conditions in hospitals in South Korea using the

Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. This survey was proven to be an “effective [measurement] for

discerning between ‘good sleep’ and ‘bad sleep”’. They also used a productivity instrument

consisting of 15 productivity items developed by McNeese-Smith. With these measurements and

variety in test groups, such as age, sex, marital status, and education status, they were able to find

that “Poor sleep quality may lead to lower nurse productivity”.

Thus, the nurse survey study coincides with the sleep analysis of the cholinergic system

and the results from the TAMIU students’ test. The cholinergic system is said to regulate various

aspects of brain function including sensory processing, sleep, and attention. By studying the

effects of good sleep on the cholinergic system, the authors are able to see the effects on not only

the brain itself but also on alertness and focus. Seeing as how these aspects are factors of the

feeling of motivation, this coincides with sleeps effects on motivation.