Although the Stanford Sleepiness Scale was the most interesting to analyze, the weeklong sleep diary allowed me to see aspects that the “Alertness Test” did not. The two biggest pieces were the effects of the program on my sleep latency and the negative impact alcohol has on sleep. First, it was one of my goals to improve my sleep latency, as during the 4 weeks of the sleep diary, my sleep latency was typically 15 minutes (higher during stressful days ex/basketball games). In order to allow for the sleep latency to decrease during emotional times, I decided to implement a 15-minute routine before I went to bed. Without a doubt, the part of the routine that was the most beneficial was turning my phone to airplane mode. Like many college students, …show more content…
By doing this, I found it easier to fall asleep since my melatonin level did not go down from staring at a bright screen. Although the 5th week of the sleep diary shows that my sleep latency increased to 30 minutes, I found that my TIB before sleep onset was relaxing and the only reason why I struggled to fall asleep was because I was not used to sleeping so early on days like Saturday. The other aspect that the diary showed me was the negative effect of alcohol on sleep. In my first 4 weeks of keeping a diary, I consumed alcohol 4 times. Every single one of those days, I got in my bed much later, my sleep was heavily fragmented, and my sleep latency was about 30 minutes. When comparing this to the 5th week where I did not consume alcohol, my sleep was less fragmented, but the times when it fragmented was when my roommates came in after a night out, so alcohol still found a way to negatively impact my sleep. In conclusion, the sleep diary allowed me to analyze my sleep latency, which I was shocked was larger during my program, and allowed me to understand the negative impacts of …show more content…
In order to accomplish this, my main focus was to establish a consistent sleep/wake pattern. As a result of improving my sleep hygiene, I found that my overall quality of sleep improved tremendously; therefore my program was a success. Although the data showed that my sleep and alertness level were disrupted and negatively affected by the program at first, within a couple of days my body started to get used to it and the positive results began. Since the results came back positive, I have decided to continue on with parts of my program. The main part will be the same routine before I go to bed and the hour time frame of waking up. I enjoyed not looking at my phone before I slept, as it made my eyes feel better and my mind more relaxed. Meanwhile, I enjoyed waking up around the same time because I noticed that my body adapted and suddenly I was more of a “morning person”. In conclusion, I believe my sleep improvement program was a success, and I am excited to implement parts of the program in my daily
Sleep deprivation is a common condition that occurs if you don’t get enough sleep. In case of sleep deprivation people have trouble falling and staying asleep for a long period of time. In order to understand how serious sleep deprivation can be, one must need to know causes and consequences of sleep deprivation, how much sleep do we need? What does sleep do for us? And how we can cure sleep deprivation.
While points, claims, and statistics may be found within all of the sources used for the research, the sheer amount of referenced studies and works within the “Sleep-Wake” paper lends weight to it’s usefulness as a reliable source. One of the otherfactor of sleep and its affect within the college community. Three sources varying in criteria and usefulness were found that related to this subject and were studied. sources, “College Students try to Cheat Sleep Needs”, a college newspaper, offers basic facts and elementary assumptions such that could be found within any biology textbook or encyclopedia. These references are to such things as sleep cycles and sub stages and the general consequences of an out of balance sleep cycle. The study from the Biological Rhythm Research writers, however, hints at previous studies and findings that “several factors, such as social and academic demands, part-time jobs, [...] affect the sleep-wake cycle of college students.” but then only states the findings of a particular study, and does so in...
We live our entire life in two states, sleep and awake1. These two states are characterized by two distinct behaviors. For instance, the brain demonstrates a well-defined activity during non-REM sleep (nREM) that is different when we are awake. In the study of sleep by Huber et. al., the authors stated that sleep is in fact a global state2. It is unclear whether this statement means that sleep is a state of global behavioural inactivity or the state of the global nervous system. The notion that sleep is a global state of the nervous system served as basis for sleep researchers to search for a sleep switch. The discovery of the sleep switch, in return, provided evidence and enhanced the notion that sleep is a global state of the nervous system. The switch hypothesis developed from the fact that sleep can be initiated without fatigue and it is reversible1. It was hypothesized that there is something in the brain that has the ability to control the whole brain and initiate sleep. Studies have found a good candidate that demonstrated this ability3. They found a group of neurons in the Ventrolateral Preoptic (VLPO) nucleus. It was a good candidate because it was active during sleep, has neuronal output that can influence the wakefulness pathway, and lesion in the area followed reduce sleep3. The idea that there is something that can control the whole brain and result sleep state supports the idea that sleep is a global state of the nervous system.
There are many causes, treatments, symptoms and ways to diagnose insomnia. With that in mind there are also different kinds of insomnia. There are three main types of insomnia each type has their own symptoms and behaviors that go along with it.
My behavior change project was attempting to have a more regular sleep schedule. This project was challenging to me because I typically have a hard time falling asleep and waking up, and I usually procrastinate leading to many late nights. I think the biggest challenge that this change presents is slipping up and staying up late or sleeping or napping can mess up your whole cycle of sleeping and take an even longer amount of time to correct. In the beginning keeping track of my sleep felt good because I knew that I was getting enough sleep and it gave me an excuse to stop studying and go to bed. Ultimately though, making a conscious effort to track my sleep and get more sleep was more stressful than jut letting sleep happen naturally.
“When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap.” This statement by Tom Hodgkinson perfectly describes the solution to the life of the average American high schooler, who wakes up early, rushes to school, and undergoes several grueling classes, only to later participate in extracurricular activities and return home to complete homework. Due to all these activities, only a vast minority of teenagers obtain the amount of sleep they need in a night; Tom Hodgkinson’s quote proposes a solution to this problem. By instituting naptime in high schools, students could simply nap to refresh themselves when the going gets tough, whether that be an excessive amount of homework, an extremely demanding test, or a sports practice that lasts long into the
Many times people think they can accomplish more if they could eliminate so much sleeping time. However, they are only hurting their productivity if they lose sleep. Two articles deal with the issue of sleep deprivation. The College Student Journal published an article about the grade-point average of college students and sleep length, while U.S. News & World Report produced an article dealing with the lack of
In order to function normally, “adequate sleep is a biological necessity” (Austin 34). College is a transition for many students, and without prioritizing many can become sleep deprived. There are various reasons that college students could become deprived of sleep. Reasons include loud roommates, sororities/fraternities, late night jobs, and procrastination. Additionally, a student could be struggling financially or academically, and this could be possible causes for keeping one up late at night. Little to no sleep could affect how young adults function leading to multiple effects. Depression can be a result of not getting enough rest, and the “longer this
Could someone commit a crime or murder while sleeping? Could someone drive 14 miles from home without waking up or wrecking? How do you determine if someone was sleepwalking when only the victim and offender would know that answer and one of them is dead? How do some people get away with the sleepwalking murder defense while others don’t? Many questions come to mind when sleepwalking and murder come into play. While asleep people have been known to talk, walk, do simple tasks, eat, fight with your spouse and even have sex, but when it comes to the murder defense it a whole other story.
Sleeping is something that is an essential part of human nature and is a must in order for one to be a functional human being. Sleep is an idea that is accompanied by many wives’ tales, including the ideas that one needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night and alcohol helps one fall asleep and sleep more soundly. One myth about sleep is that during sleeping, one is in a state of nothingness. In truth, however, it has been discovered that during sleep the brain is active, variations in heartbeat and breathing occur, and the eyes and ears are active throughout the time of sleep. These activities during a person’s sleep are important because they help that person be more aware, awake, and alert during consciousness. If all of these important activities occur during sleep, why is it that people are so willing to short themselves of this vital activity? Although much about sleep still remains a mystery, research and experiments continue to show how important sleep is to each and every person. Throughout this paper, I will discuss sleep and the effects that it has on performance and health, especially in college students. A college student’s sleeping pattern is a reliable indicator to their level of performance in the classroom and other school-affiliated activities, as a lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. Sleep is directly related the level of performance and health in an individual; the more rested a person is, the better that person will perform and feel (Dryer, 2006).
The four stages of sleep are REM (rapid eye movement sleep), NREM1 (non-rem), NREM2, and NREM3. During the REM stage “your heart rate rises, your breathing becomes rapid and irregular, and every half-minute or so your eyes dart around in momentary burst of activity behind closed lids” (Myers, 2014, p. 96).
“Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep.” (2009, Dec. 18). The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Healthy
Sleep is a very important factor in the human function. Our body and brain is able to reset itself and rejuvenate while we sleep. When we do not get the required amount of sleep, we start to feel lethargic and foggy minded, because our mind and body wasn’t able to replenish itself. Sleep is imperative that an insignificant rest deficiency or lack of sleep can affect our ability to remember things; decisions and can affect our temperament. Chronic sleep deficiency can get the body to feel agitated and it could lead to serious health problems such as, heart problems, stress, acne, and obesity.
Maynard, W., & Brogmus, G. (2006). Safer shift work through more effective scheduling. Occupational health and safety, 16.
We depend on sleep each and everyday in order to be able to interact throughout the day. Sleep is very important if you want to socialize with people or feel real good. It is very important in order to live a healthy life. It really gives you energy so you won’t crash. Sleep is a very important part of physical and mental health through the day.