Essay On The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation

The problem of sleep deprivation has become a topical issue. Quite often people, especially young, are deprived of sleep. They do it for various reasons. Sometimes young people burn the midnight oil while studying. They want to receive good grades and are ready to stay up all night in order to do it. Some people prefer to spend their nights partying and spending time with their friends. Some simply think that there are many other useful things that could be done instead of sleeping. However, these people seem to forget that sleep is an essential part of people's lives and its absence may lead to terrible consequences. Among most common effects of sleep deprivation it is possible to mention negative influence on people's physical health, mental health and emotional state.
First off all, if a person doesn't get enough sleep, it can negatively effect one’s physical health. Quite often it may result in numerous headaches, decline of strength and even faints. Without enough sleep people get tired very easily and, as a result, they cannot work and cannot be productive. However, the things could get even worse. For example, if people are deprived of sleep for a long period of time, it can lead to serious problems. Thus, the lack of sleep may lead to heart diseases, high blood pressure and strokes. Many people claim that in certain cases sleep deprivation may cause weight gain and obesity. So, if a person doesn't get enough sleep at night, one wouldn't be refreshed and would feel terrible the next day. One wouldn't be able to lead a normal life.
Furthermore, the lack of sleep may negatively affect people's mental health. It is clear that if people don't get good night’s sleep, they loose their concentration and cannot remain focused throughout the day. It becomes harder to put their attention to certain things and, as a result, they could be easily confused. Moreover, such people often claim that they start to suffer from memory problems. They forget about the things that they should have done during the day and could hardly remember what they did yesterday or the day before. Because their memories become weaker, people can no longer work or study well. Thus, sleep deprivation affects people's ability to learn. They cannot read a lot of information and cannot learn efficiently. Furthermore, the lack of sleep contributes to anxiety disorders and insomnia.
It is also worth considering that sleep deprivation affects people's emotional state. For instance, when people are sleepy, they easily become angry or irritated. Their mood changes so quickly that they could laugh and in a second they could suddenly start to cry. After a sleepless night many people become short-tempered and exhausted. They are not satisfied with everything that is going on around them. People may also suffer from anxiety, fear and stress. It should be also noted that sleep deprivation is often associated with depression. It is probably one of the most negative effects of sleep deprivation. Thus, depression makes people feel sad and hopeless. They truly cannot understand what causes such feelings, but they definitely suffer. They are usually not satisfied with themselves and with everything that surrounds them. That is the main reasons why people should be responsible and should care more about their sleep.