Sleep deprivation has been a prevalent habit among many adolescents and adults of the 21st century. Is sleep deprivation the public health crisis of our generation? Have factors such as technology and our night routine interfere with our natural sleep cycles? We have the answer for you right here.
The definition of sleep is: a periodic, natural, reversible, and near total loss of consciousness. Sleep helps with recuperation, growth, and mental function to help stable our body growth and health. This also increases rates of learning, memory, mood, and reaction. It is pertinent for our bodies to be fast asleep throughout the night. However, did you know that in the United States this period in time, 30% of adults and 66% of adolescences are sleep deprived? This is worrisome because teenagers should have at least nine hours of sleep per night, but end up sleeping less than that. Even having less than six hours of sleep can increase the chances of having a stroke by 4.5 times than those getting a normal dose of sleep. Hallucinations, inflammation, and other psychological disabilities can start rummaging through your mind. It is almost like going through your day being drunk because you are so fatigue. One example would be staying up late to study for your test, but ended up failing it. Many parts in the brain would be affected once a person goes through sleep deprivation. The prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of planning and complex behaviors, would be working overtime to keep awake. Also the chemical adenosine, which is the incline to sleep would not be working with chemical melatonin. It could lead to disorders such as insomnia or dementia later in life. Technology could play a big role in why adults and adolescents are not getting as much sleep as they should. Using your phone in the evening may make it harder to drop off to sleep and the quality of how you slept which in return, can make you feel sleepier the next day. This is because humans can perceive artificial light as a natural light to keep us awake and distracted. The impact of sleep “are relating to both the stimulating effects of interacting with a device and the effects of light from the screen.” Another reason is that our society, such as teenagers, wants to be more engaged with other people so they won’t “miss out” on anything. There are some ways we can reduce the effect of technology in our sleep cycles. During the night time, make sure to change the white light on the screen to “night shift” to turn the screen yellow and pressing do not disturb. Another way, is to have a technology-free period before sleeping and charging your phone in another room. Though sleep deprivation has been a major health crisis in our generation and technology could be a main reason why, sleep is crucial to maintain our health and to keep our sanity.
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