Sleep Deprivation and

Mental Health
By: Jack Stout

What are the most important things to

do in order to maintain good health?
We need food, water, and shelter. However, due to years
of scientific study on the human body; it has become
very clear that our bodies need more than just the big
three.
Discoveries have been made about how the lack of
companionship can affect ones health. Other
discoveries have been made about how much good
exercise does for the body. However, there is one thing
that each of us can do to maintain not only physical
strength, but mental strength as well sleep!

What is the average amount of

sleep does an American get?
Recent studies have shown that the average American
adult only gets 6.8 hours of sleep each night.
After reading more about this, it sparked a question in
my mind: How does this lack of sleep effect our brain?

What is sleep?
To understand more about the effects that sleep has on the
brain, we must first understand what sleep is.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines sleep as the
natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which
the powers of the body are restored. Sleep occurs as part
of the 24 our rhythm that our bodies fall into naturally. This
rhythm, also known as the circadian rhythm, is part of our
natural schedule because it allows our body to achieve
everything it needs to in order to function properly. Other
parts of the Circadian Rhythm are: The bodys chemical
production, blood pressure regulation, digestion, and
temperature regulation. (Caldwell)

Do you follow a sleep schedule?

In a study about the circadian rhythm it was learned that
people, even without a clock to see what time it is, will
generally follow the same schedule. (Psychology, 193)
In cases when subjects do not follow the same schedule, in
almost every case, the subject would not have as good of
health as the subjects who followed a schedule. This can be
seen as proof that humans are habitual creatures, and that
the natural cycle that our body wants to follow should take
place.

What is the deeper understanding

of a bad night sleep?
We all know the feeling after a bad nights sleep. We feel irritable,
tired, depressed, and unable to focus. Many people think that this is
just the after effects of a bad night, however research has shown that
this is your body telling you that several things are going wrong. The
inability to focus comes from a condition called micro-sleep.
Micro Sleep is defined as a short period in which there is a brief lapse
of consciousness due to the lack of sleep. (Flynn) You may feel
depressed or irritable simply because your batteries are not charged.
You could think of your brain as a car battery. When it is kept at a
proper charge there are rarely problems, it starts the car, and
performs all of the functions necessary. However, when the battery is
not charged fully, it will fail to start the car, or will very sluggishly do
so. Sleep is to our brains, as a charging station is to a battery.

Sleep is to our brains, as a

charging station is to a battery.
You may feel depressed or irritable simply because your
batteries are not charged. You could think of your brain
as a car battery. When it is kept at a proper charge
there are rarely problems, it starts the car, and
performs all of the functions necessary. However, when
the battery is not charged fully, it will fail to start the
car, or will very sluggishly do so. Sleep is to our brains,
as a charging station is to a battery.

Sleeping Conditions
Short-term effects from lack of sleep can seem hard
enough, but the long-term effects of lack of sleep can
be so hard on your body, they can at times even become
fatal.
Many people suffer from conditions that make it hard
for them to sleep. Some of these conditions include:
sleep apnea, delayed sleep phase disorder, jet lag (or
time zone sleep disruption), advance sleep phase
disorder, narcolepsy, 24-hour sleep/wake syndrome,
restless leg syndrome, sleepwalking, or even high
amounts of stress.

Sleeping Disorders
Bipolar disorder
High-level anxiety
Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Although it has yet to be solidly proven, there is talk
within the scientific community of Alzheimers Disease
being linked with sleep deprivation.

My interview with someone who

has sleep apnea.
I decided to interview someone with severe sleep apnea. This person, on
average gets only 3.5 4 hours of sleep each night. I started by asking her
how she copes with her sleeping disorder, and things that she does
differently because she has sleep apnea. She started by saying that it is
extremely hard, and that she feels tired nearly every day.
She explained how she feels by saying: Some days it gets easier, but there
is always this desire in the back of my mind to have a restful night of sleep.
One night out of 100 I will have a good night and get a couple more hours
in than my usual. I can just never quite get enough rest to have the energy
that I want and need to have. I was astonished at her response, and asked
how the lack of sleep has affected her mentally over time. She explained
that she feels as though her short-term memory has suffered because of it.
She also has a hard time concentrating for long periods of time. Lastly she
remarked that she gets overwhelmed and moody quite easily because she
cannot function as quickly as most people can.

The Importance of sleep

I hope that my presentation, will bring to light the
importance of sleep. A higher level of awareness of the
effects of sleep on our mental capacities will help us to
prioritize sleeping, and will help us to understand the
reasons that many feel the way they do. It is my hope
that sleep research will continue to progress so more
people can understand their bodys needs. Research on
sleep, and how to overcome sleep related mental
illnesses will result in a mentally healthier community.

Reference
Caldwell, J. P. (2003). Sleep: The complete guide to sleep disorders
and a better night's sleep. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books (U.S.).
Schacter, D. L., Gilbert, D. T., Wegner, D. M., & Nock, M. K. (2014).
Psychology (3rd ed., 193-203). New York, NY: Worth , a Macmillan
Higher Education Company.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary. (2004). Springfield, MA: MerriamWebster.
Flynn, E. (2015). Life Without Insomnia: Identify The Root Cause And
Cure Your Insomnia Forever! Amazon Digital Services.
Colten, H. R., & Altevogt, B. M. (2006). Sleep disorders and sleep
deprivation: An unmet public health problem. Washington, DC:
Institute of Medicine.