...Insufficient Sleep: The Silent Enemy of Fitness 1 Insufficient Sleep: The Silent Enemy of Fitness Brad Park Western Governors University Insufficient Sleep: The Silent Enemy of Fitness 2 It can be seen on television, read in the paper, and heard on the radio that it's time for America to get into shape. Obesity is up and engaging in healthy exercise is down. The obvious thing to blame is poor food choices and if that's coupled with working long hours then it's no wonder. Nevertheless, despite those issues people are finally deciding to make fitness a priority in their lives by watching what they eat and exercising more. However, they may find that the weight's not coming off, physical performance is going down, or they can't seem to put on any muscle. The culprit behind these issues may be surprising: sleep. A lack of sleep, which is becoming the norm in our society, is being proven to negatively effect several key areas of one's physical fitness. First, studies show a connection between sleep deprivation and weight control including less fat loss, changes in metabolism, and increased hunger. Next, research conducted on sleep restricted athletes resulted in less stamina, slower reaction times, and changes in mood. Finally, tests on sleep deprived subjects showed lowered testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels which all play major roles in building muscle. Getting enough sleep every night is more important to your fitness...
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...My paper is based on an article from the text’s web site (chapter 9) entitled “Lack of sleep ages body’s systems.” The basic claim of the article is that sleep deprivation has various harmful effects on the body. The reported effects include decreased ability to metabolize glucose (similar to what occurs in diabetes) and increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone involved in memory and regulation of blood sugar levels). The article also briefly alludes (in the quote at the bottom of page 1) to unspecified changes in brain and immune functioning with sleep deprivation. Intuitively, these results make a lot of sense to me. I know that when I’m sleep deprived for any significant amount of time, I begin to feel physically miserable. I also seem to be more vulnerable to colds and other physical ailments. In thinking about it though, most of the times I’m sleep deprived are also periods of psychological stress (such as finals week). To the extent that there are changes in my physical well-being, I’m wondering whether they are due to the sleep deprivation, the stress itself, or some combination of the two. In principle, a careful experiment should be able to isolate the effects of sleep deprivation by depriving people of sleep in the absence of stress and other such confounding variables. That seems to be what this experiment does, but as I read the article closely, I found myself unsure that the effects it reports are necessarily due to sleep deprivation per se. ...
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...1-3 Short Paper: If Only I Could Sleep Thomas M. O’Rourke Southern New Hampshire University Sleep is essential as it allows you to function physically and psychologically. When you do not get enough sleep on a continual basis many things can affect you. Sleep deprivation can lead to higher risk of chronic health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. According to Harvard Medical School, for people with hypertension, one night without enough sleep can cause elevated blood pressure all through the next day. There are many causes of sleep deprivation. The stresses of daily life may intrude upon your ability to sleep well, or perhaps we will trade sleep for more work or play (Lim, 2008). We may have medical or mental conditions that disrupt our sleep, and be aware that we are sleep deprived to name a few. Sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours just for one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness as much as 32% according to research (Lim, 2008). It is critically important to realize that sleep deprivation is very often due to unrecognized sleep disorders. Studies show an increased mortality risk for those reporting less than either six or seven hours per night (Abdul, 2012). One study found that reduced sleep...
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...Background of the Study Sleep is a physiological need. It is a way to rest our body from fatigue. Hence, adequate sleep is a biological necessity, not a luxury, for the normal functioning of humans. Good mental and physical health depends on maintenance of adequate sleep. College experience is of great value in providing emerging adults with a structured environment in which they can gain knowledge, skills and independence to chart their own path, become successfully employed and contribute to society. For most students, the college environment is full of new living and social experiences, new freedom from parental supervision and new academic demands. In this situations, most often than not, adequate sleep is neglected. According to poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (2000) potential obstacle to maximizing success in college is the high prevalence of daytime sleepiness, sleep deprivation, sleep disturbances and irregular sleep schedules among college students. Daytime sleepiness is a major problem, exhibited by 50% of college students compared to 36% of adolescents and adults. At least 3 days a week, 60% of college students report that they are dragging, tired and sleepy. Sleep deprivation is defined as obtaining inadequate sleep to support adequate daytime alertness. How much sleep a young adult needs is known to be eight (8) hours. Most college students are sleep deprived, as 70.6% of students report obtaining less than 8 hours of sleep. Sleepiness is defined...
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...Sleep Deprivation Abstract Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive, however in the modern days sleep deprivation in increasing more and more each day, causing accidents and medical problems for the people and the community. This essay will look at the meaning of sleep and sleep deprivation and the basic perspectives on what motivates sleep and sleep deprivation with the five perspectives; evolutionary, psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and the hierarchy of needs. This essay will also evaluate the best perspective to eliminate sleep deprivation with the cases studies discussing the general hypothesis of sleep and sleep deprivation. Basic Perspectives on Motivation: Evaluating Five Accounts for Sleep and Sleep Deprivation Sleep is one of our basic needs to survive and to function in day to day operations, but not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Some people can survive on very little sleep, i.e. five hours a night, and some people need a lot of sleep, to the extend that they are sleeping up to 10 to sometimes 15 hours a night (Nature, 2005). According to Wilson (2005) the general rule states that most people need from seven to eight hours of sleep. The deprivation of sleep in our society in continually increasing with the demands in society increasing work loads, the myth that a few hours of sleep is only necessary to function properly and that sleep is sometimes considered as killing time (Nature, 2005). Sometimes sleep deprivation is also caused by other...
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...Research Proposal: People views about the Psychological role of sleep in our lives Date: August 26, 2013 Subject: Proposal to do a research paper/project on the people views about the psychological role of sleep in our lives. INTRODUCTION Sleep has been the subject of speculation and thought since the time of the early Greek philosophers, but recently scientists have discovered ways to study sleep in a systematic and objective way. With the advent of new technology, scientists are now being able to measure electrical patterns and activity produce by the sleeping brain. Sleeping time is controlled by circadian clock (a biochemical mechanism that oscillates with a period of 24 hours and is coordinated within day-night cycle) and in humans to some extent by willed behavior. Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. Psychological role of sleep has a great impact on our lives. In today’s society, a lack of sleep and high energy are accepted as the “norm”. It seems that people have lost sight of the importance of sleep on our mental and physical health. Many research studies have been conducted and have found that there are many benefits to sleeping regularly and well. It is not quantity that matters so much as quality of sleep. Research has also been done to study the future of sleep and how that may affect people psychologically. The field of sleep psychology is advancing, and will surely change...
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...Running head: BENEFITS OF SLEEP MEDICINE Benefits of Sleeping Pills May Outweigh the Harm Andrew V. Pham Georgia Perimeter College Abstract The article, “The Case for Sleep Medicine” published by The New York Times, discusses the issue of many Americans' dependence on sleep medicine by thoroughly explaining the effects of sleep deprivation, the risks of relying on these medicine, and the significance of natural sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Gayle Green, the author of this article, states that sleep deprivation has caused many Americans to rely on sleeping pills to obtain enough sleep to function appropriately for work and other activities. This paper examines a study in the BMJ journal that discusses the risks of sleeping pills, and a research administered by researchers from the University of Chicago that depicts the negative effects of sleep deprivation. The article effectively uses these studies and research results to illustrate the many mental and physical complications that result from taking sleep medicine continuously for a period of time, but it seems as though many individuals are willing to accept the increase of risky body malfunctions rather than to lose sleep. Benefits of Sleeping Pills May Outweigh the Harm Sleep is fundamental for survival. It is the body's natural way of restoring itself from daily mental and physical activities. For young adolescents, adequate sleep leads to improved development in the brain and bodily growth....
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...SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON PRODUCTIVITY Authors Muneeb Bin Hafeez Rashi Kumar Lohano Ratan Kumar Usman Ahmad Submitted to Dr. Erum Maqbool For fulfillment of the requirement of “Term Report” as a pre-requisite for completion of the course of “Foundations of Human Behaviour” Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. Statement of Contribution Outline of the Term Report Abstract Main Body of the Research 1) Problem statement 2) Justification statement 3) Purpose 4) Audience 5) Functional Definitions of the Construct 6) Hypotheses 7) Methodology and techniques of research 8) Literature review 9) Primary research 10) Interview i. Contact Person 11) Findings 12) Conclusion and Recommendations 13) Research Tool 14) References 15) Author’s Note Abstract Sleep deprivation has been an important topic of study with the first documented research on sleep deprivation being conducted by Mary D. Maneceine in 1894 on rats by depriving them of sleep and examining their behavior. Sleep deprivation is an important part of academic life. It is often quoted “a sound mind in a sound body” to describe the ideal and desirable state of a human being. It can be observed that the functioning of a ‘sound body’ is vital to the efficient working of a ‘sound mind’. To maintain a healthy body it important that the recuperative functions of the body are allowed to efficiently play their role. The...
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...Practice Matrix of Ten Pieces of Primary Research on One Topic Related to Nursing | |Authors | |Authors | |Authors | Authors |Resource/ Database |Year of Publication |Research Type |Population/ Sample Size |Outcome Variables Measured |Pertinent Data from Results |Author’s Suggested Conclusions |Comments | |Chou, Y., Shao, M.,Tzeng, W.& Yeh, M. |WGU Library |2010 |Cross-sectional |435 female nurses from five different hospitals |Sleep quality and quality of life in female shift-working nurses |57% had global sleep-quality scores > or = to 5 |Long hours affect nurses sleep quality and information should be given while in school and to managers to improve health |It was interesting to see the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and World Health Organization...
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...always another reason to stay up; to get that promotion, to improve a grade in school, or even due to a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea, a disorder which causes a person to stop breathing briefly while they are sleeping, sometimes hundreds of times a night, depriving the brain of oxygen. This narrative is all-too familiar for many teenagers and adults. Almost everyone has had to pull an all-nighter at least once in their life...
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...The Effects of Sleep Deprivation Aram Saruni ITT Technical Institute Aram Saruni EN 1320; Composition I Mr. Steven Berndt Research Paper Aguste 11, 2014 The Effects of Sleep Deprivation People today have many problems in their life and sleep deprivation is often a silent stressor. Sleep deprivation can affect any age group of people and getting a few extra hours of sleep on the weekend just it not enough. There is no substitution for sleep. Many people overlook the importance of sleep because they do think that there is a big threat to one’s health. However, this can be very dangerous in the long term. As members of a want it now society, people overlook the importance of sleep due to the fact that people are constantly working. Overlooking the amount people sleep will result in negative health effects, reduced alertness, and the use of pharmaceuticals or other substances. What can be done to prevent and break this silent danger? Sleep deprivation is a problem that with many consequences. There is an alarming lack of awareness about sleep deprivation. To understand how serious sleep deprivation can be, what is the cause or causes it, what are the effects and long term consequences, and one must understand why sleep is important. Sleep is the mental and physical resting state of a person. People go through different stages of sleep and need to go through these stages to get their bodies physically to unwind and mentally rest our brains. Sleep is a necessary...
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...| The effect of sleep on the psychology and development of children and adolescents. | | | nj26 | | Contents INTRODUCTION 3 Why Is Sleep Relevant to Psychology? 4 What Is Sleep and Why Is It Important 4 Sleep Regulation 4 The Impact of Sleep on Daytime Functioning 5 Sleep deprivation impairs learning and memory. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs academic success and neurobehavioral functioning. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs emotional regulation. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs health. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs adolescents’ driving ability. 6 Sleep Behaviour Across Development 6 New-borns and Infants (0 to 12 months) 7 Developmental changes in sleep. 7 Behavioural and psychological factors affecting sleep behaviour. 7 Early Childhood (12 Months to 6 Years of Age) 7 Developmental changes in sleep. 7 Behavioural and psychological factors affecting sleep behaviour. 7 School-Age Years 8 Developmental changes in sleep. 8 Behavioural and psychological factors affecting sleep behaviour. 8 Adolescence 8 Behavioural and psychological factors affecting sleep behaviour. 9 Further studies regarding the effect of sleep on the development and psychology of children and adolescents. 9 Sleep and the Body Mass Index and Overweight Status of Children and Adolescents 9 Sleepless in Chicago: Tracking the Effects of Adolescent Sleep Loss During the Middle School Years 10 Sleep, Learning, and the Developing Brain: Early-to-Bed as a Healthy and...
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... | |The effect of sleep on the psychology and development of children and adolescents. | | | | | | | | | Contents INTRODUCTION 3 Why Is Sleep Relevant to Psychology? 4 What Is Sleep and Why Is It Important 4 Sleep Regulation 4 The Impact of Sleep on Daytime Functioning 5 Sleep deprivation impairs learning and memory. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs academic success and neurobehavioral functioning. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs emotional regulation. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs health. 5 Sleep deprivation impairs adolescents’ driving ability. 6 Sleep Behaviour Across Development 6 New-borns and Infants (0 to 12 months) 7 Developmental changes in sleep. 7 Behavioural and psychological factors affecting sleep behaviour. 7 Early Childhood (12 Months to 6 Years of Age) 7 Developmental changes in sleep. 7 Behavioural and psychological...
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...Obtaining Adequate Amounts of Sleep (between 8-9 hours) Reduce Stress Levels? BPS Wellness Paper Individual Self-Study Write-Up Intro My identified issue is lack of sleep and high stress levels. I do not maintain a schedule that would allow for enough quality sleep. I am also experience stress levels that are high, and suspect that lack of sleep may be a source of some of this stress. I have difficulty falling asleep and occasionally staying asleep. As a result I am often fatigued and tend to crave high fat sugary carbohydrates and overeat on them, to maintain mood and energy. Research Question Can obtaining adequate amounts of sleep (between 8-9 hours of sleep) reduce stress levels? My hypothesis is in order to lower my stress levels I would like to obtain 8 hours of sleep with and monitor the effects of this on my reported levels of stress. My rationale is my mind and body are more rested therefore my perception of stress and my ability to handle stress would improve thereby lowering my stress levels(Minkel et al., 2012) Sleep deprivation is associated with higher cortisol levels and with an exaggerated cortisol response to a stressor. I have not been obtaining a regular 8 hrs of sleep per night and have been feeling stressed.(“10 Surprising Effects of Lack of Sleep,” n.d.) My plan is to see if obtaining at least 8 hours of sleep lowers my stress levels. Method: Over the course of 21 days upon rising I will record the number of hours of sleep I receive. I will record...
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...Psych 101 9/16/2014 Research paper 1 Ivytech community college Sleep disorders essay Sleep the thing we need the most in our everyday lives. Unfortunately for some people this task the most simple of all tasks, something your parents would tell you to do if you were misbehaving by saying the words go take a nap, is unbearable. People from around the world suffer from many sleep disorders and don’t even know why. So what is a sleep disorder you ask? A sleep disorder is are problems with sleeping, including trouble falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at the wrong times, too much sleep, or abnormal behaviors during sleep. To be completely honest sleep can be compared to quicksand in a way no matter how you try to fight it you will just end up finding your self-trapped it will take over your body and the more you try to fight it the more it will win and by it I mean sleep. The effects of sleep are not uncommon in fact, back then even till this day sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture in certain camps of certain countries. Not only that, but many victims of sleep deprivation commonly a form of torture used on criminals is used to extract information from them for however long as possible. It leaves no physical markings but its psychological effects can be very harmful. Victims will literally go crazy. Those who have gone through it say that no sleep is even worse than starvation. The number of people who suffer from a lack of sleep is growing. This is largely...
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