Ethan Freeman

Miss Elisabeth Caruso

UWRT 1103
3/1/2016

Sleep Deprivation: Synthesis Paper

Everyone has experienced the sensation of tiredness and grogginess after a poor
night of sleep, but the problems associated with sleep deprivation go much deeper than
these immediate, temporary effects. In fact, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to
diminishing health, both mental and physical. In extreme cases, it can cause lifelong
psychological damage. Unfortunately, the amount of sleep necessary for functioning at
one's optimal level is very difficult to attain when one must deal with school, work,
sports, or a combination of these. Difficult as it may be, it is possible, and essential, for
everyone to get a healthy amount of sleep.
Although everyone knows what it feels like to operate on deplorable levels of
sleep, with the feeling of heavy eyelids, difficulty paying attention, and diminished
cognitive functioning, the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation go much further. In the
short term, it can hinder your ability to focus and retain information, thus making any
attempt to learn or perform academically significantly less effective. As unfavorable as
this is, the effects of prolonged periods of deprivation can be much more devastating. As

demonstrated in a sleep study involving Peter Tripp, who was forced to stay awake for
200 hours, prolonged periods without sleep can result in serious, lifelong psychological
repercussions(Myers' Psychology for AP*, 2011). Tripp, a radio host and lively character,
experienced a massive shift in his personality, becoming increasingly bitter and irritable
for the duration of his life, according to his friends and family. Another frightening effect
of sleep deprivation is the occurance of microsleeps, which are periods of roughly 30
seconds during which a person drifts into an alternate mental state, sometimes becoming
effectively blind and incapable of processing information(Livescience.com, 2015).
As terrifying as the effects of sleep deprivation are, over half of students ages 1517 have reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night, which is not enough to
support optimal functioning and memory retention.(National Sleep Foundation, 2005).
With over half of this High School-aged demographic getting insufficient levels of sleep,
it can be inferred that there is a serious problem, either within the education system, or
with the sleep habits of the students. The most frustrating thing, for many students, is that
they simply can't get as much sleep as they want, no matter how hard they try. Some
students have to work and attend sports practices after school nearly every day, making it
impossible for them to get enough sleep in the conventional way.
In order to combat lethargy and chronic sleep deprivation, students must employ a
plethora of sleep maximization methods. For example, someone who has various
responsibilites throughout the day and late into the night may benefit from taking
catnaps(20-30 minute bursts of sleep) between activities, reducing the amount of sleep
they need that night in order to feel fresh the following day. For individuals working the
night shift, it is recommended to break sleep into 2 separate, 4-hour blocks of sleep, in

order to prevent a total shift towards becoming nocturnal. Some tricks which work for
people of all ages and work/school schedules include turning off electronics before
getting into bed, sleeping in a dark environment, and avoiding caffeine any time before
bed.
Sleep deprivation is a very serious problem Today, and will continue to be a
challenge facing students and members of the workforce for years to come, but it can be
staved off by smart sleep habits. Although not everyone can get 8 hours straight before
they start their day, everyone can maximize their level of restfulness if they're educated in
how to do so. So before you teachers, employers, and coaches lash out at your students,
athletes and employees for nodding off or struggling to retain information, keep in mind
that they're living in a world that expects an incredible amount from its people, and gives
them very little time to recover. It's a struggle that everyone deals with, and a struggle
that everyone needs to be educated on enough to combat.
Bibliography
-Myers, David G. Myers' Psychology for AP. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2011.
-G, By Sara. "The Spooky Effects of Sleep Deprivation." LiveScience. 2015. Accessed
February 25, 2016. http://www.livescience.com/52592-spooky-effects-sleepdeprivation.html.
-The Atlantic. Accessed February 25, 2016.
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/08/surprise-students-arent-gettingenough-sleep/379020/.

-"Teens and Sleep." Sleep for Teenagers. Accessed February 25, 2016.
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep