Kelley Love College Writing I Robische 12 November 2013

Sleep is Essential for the functionality of everyday life

Its late the night before a large project is due; this as happened before, the more work completed the more the work adds up. Its decided that it will be another sleepless night and the work continues on into the morning as the struggle to stay awake drives on. Pulling all-nighters has happened many times; whether its to work on a project, writing a paper, studying for a test, or even just due to stress. Staying awake late at night often seems like the smart choice and is accepted by people who need to get their work done immediately, but what effects does this have on the body and mind? This paper will explore into the effects of sleep deprivation, the reason why we sleep, what happens when we pull all-nighters, and how much sleep we should get at night. Since the dawn of time people have been sleeping. No matter where in the world they live, what they believe, how prestigious or anonymous they are, they have one thing in common; everyone sleeps. People spend approximately 1/3 of their lives asleep. People spend thousands of dollars a year on how and where they sleep. Sleep drives society, it drives the economy, and it actually drives the world as each individuals circadian rhythm interacts with each and every others rhythm, giving the world its own rhythm and dictating the course at which the whole planet functions. Sleep just seems to be in

everybodys nature. Even though sleep is so natural, it seems to defy the most fundamental parts of nature and natural selection. At the dawn of time and the evolution of man and life (not intended to show or influence the beliefs of the writer or audience), sleep is a trait that shows up in multiple species and subspecies. Natural selection is a force that is defined as; a species that has adapted better to the environment around them then other species will pass on their traits more efficiently. Sleep however; when seen from a natural selection view point is very dangerous. Sleep renders the victim motionless and keeps it from being fully conscious. Sleep however has defied natural selection and has even been accepted as one of the most natural things for people to do. This shows the necessity of sleep and has caused many doctors and scientists to inquire into the reason of sleep. Doctors and Scientists for years have tried to postulate a reason for sleeping. However the most they can do is speculate. There are multiple theories about why people sleep: Inactivity theory, Energy conservation theory, Restorative theories, Brain Development Theory ("http://healthysleep .med.harvard.edu/") Inactivity theory is that organisms need sleep to help keep them out of harms way when in moments of weakness. Energy conversation theory is basically what it says; when an organism sleeps they conserve energy. Research shows that humans metabolize 10% slower that when they are awake. Restorative theory states that many of the major restorative functions in the body like muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis, and growth hormone release occur mostly, or in some cases only, during sleep (Siegel). Brain Development theory is based off the research that the brain goes through multiple stages while asleep and the brain retains more info after its asleep. Whether one of these theories or all these is the reason humans sleep it definitely gives insight into the benefits of sleep and some of the occurrences while sleep ensues. When the body goes to sleep many things are going on at once. Our bodies repair themselves; our minds restore and cause rejuvenation over the whole body. However when the body doesnt sleep

its starved of all the benefits that the sleep has to offer us. In humans, lack of sleep leads to impaired memory and reduced cognitive abilities, and, if the deprivation persists, mood swings and even hallucinations (Purves). Everyone has felt the pain of having to function in the morning after a night with no sleep. They feel as if thier abilities have been impaired and we have become sluggish. These symptoms are due to deprivation of sleep. Sleep deprivation can be a very serious thing. After a short night of sleep subjects notice lack of judgment in decisions and often feel groggy. In these moments of little or no judgment people can make major life threating mistakes or just smaller mistakes that can cause major problems to occur. The smaller mistakes are more ubiquitous, but the more severe mistakes can still transpire. Scientists studied long term effects of sleep deprivation on rats and noticed something astounding. The rats immune systems failed completely after two weeks. After only a few weeks the rats died completely. The longest verified amount of time where a human was awake was only 13 days. Even though the end result wasnt death the symptoms were still extreme and abnormal. In this amount of time the subject experienced hallucinations, sickness, and loss of judgment and often didnt act like himself. After an all-nighter you might not experience hallucinations but the risks are still serious. experimental data on the effects of both acute and cumulative partial sleep deprivation (PSD) consistently point out that sleep restriction has substantial negative effects on sleepiness, motor and cognitive performance and mood, as well as on some metabolic, hormonal and immunological variables( Ferrara 155-179).After a night of little sleep you may not remember as much for the test you had studied for, or you may do something without thinking. Sleep is a serious thing and the effects from a lack of it can be devastating. Sleep is something that is often times is the first thing to be sacrificed when time is need to be found, however what most people dont know is that your sleep has a cycle that it follows. Your body has a natural Circadian rhythm: A daily cycle of biological activity based on a 24-hour period and influenced by regular variations in the environment, such as the alternation of night and day. Circadian

rhythms include sleeping and waking in animals. (Free dictionary) Circadian Rhythm is the natural rhythm of the body and mind that is affected by life style choices. When the natural Circadian Rhythm is interrupted or changed it causes sickness, aggravation, mood swings, and even change in personality. The Circadian rhythm I based of an internal clock that determines when to sleep, when to wake, and when to eat. When sleep is missed it throws off the circadian rhythm and it effects the sleep cycle; the most important being the rem cycle. Rapid eye movement sleep, or REM, is one of the five stages of sleep that most people experience nightly. It is characterized by quick, random movements of the eyes and paralysis of the muscles. The amount of time spent in REM sleep varies significantly with age; it normally makes up around 20-25% of an adult humans total time spent asleep (on average about 90-120 minutes), and approximately 80% of a newborn's. ( Nordqvist ). Studies have shown that people with sleep deprivation often enter rem sleep cycle quicker than those who have a had sufficient sleep. This shows the need for rem sleep is prevalent. Studies have also shown that rem sleep isnt necessarily the reason for memory retention and those who miss rem dont seem to have a loss of memory, however those who miss rem sleep have a loss in productivity, creativity, and the ability to problem solve. A major reason scientists believe humans enter rem sleep is due to Ontogenetic Hypothesis, which basically states rem sleep is needed for brain development. REM sleep is very important to the functionality of most college students, and when an all-nighter is pulled, the abilities to function and get work done is not at 100%. To perform at optimal aptitude students need the right amount of sleep. The major question is how much is enough? But even that is not set, for is the set time all at once? Can it be split up in multiple segments in one day? There are so many questions that are asked and there are no real valid answers, all scientists and doctors can do is hypothesize based off case studies. Out of all the places to discover, the mind is one of the most shrewd and uncharted places yet to be exposed. Unlike other tangible parts of the universe the brain keeps secrets locked away that only each individual can

perceive, based off their own personal experiences. Just like the different characteristics of people, the amount of sleep needed is based on individual needs. Scientists however have made a few hypotheses on how and when to sleep. The main break down when it comes to sleep is kids need an average of 810 hrs. And adults need from 6-8 hrs. The amount of sleep over these numbers doesnt usually have an effect unless there is sleep deprivation evident; in which case the more sleep obtained the less sleep deprivation symptoms are rampant. At the end of the day sleep is vital and there is no substitution for a good nights rest. Allnighters seem smart at the time but in reality the best thing to do is get a good nights sleep and allow the mind and body to revitalize. If something needs to be sacrificed in the day-to-day hustle that most people go through then there needs to be prioritization. Sleep is an enticing topic and has been capturing peoples minds for generations, it an endless frontier of curiosity and is shrouded by that which is locked in our minds. The best thing to do when the inescapable force that drives us to sleep when we have denied its presence, is to succumb and allow what has ruled over life for ages to take us to that place where dreams wander. We are the madness that lurks within you all, begging to be free at every moment in your deepest animal mind." We are what you hide from in your beds every night. We are what you sedate into silence and paralysis when you go to the nocturnal haven where we cannot tread." (anonymous)

Works cited Ferrara , M. How much sleep do we need?. "La Sapienza" Rome, Italy: Department of Psychology, University of Rome, 2001. 155-179. Print. Nordqvist, Joseph . "What Is Rapid Eye Movement Sleep? What Is REM?." Medical News Today. (2012): n. page. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247927.php>. Purves, D. Nueroscience. 2nd ed. Sunderland MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc, 2001. Print. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11108/>. Siegel JM. 2005. Clues to the functions of mammalian sleep. Nature. 437:1264-1271. "Why Do We Sleep, Anyway?." http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, December 18, 2007. Web. 14 Nov 2013.

<http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/why-do-we-sleep>.>.