The age-old logic that too much or too little of anything will have negative effects—to where it can become fatal to oneself. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “Sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health problems, injuries, loss of productivity, and even a greater likelihood of death”, returning to said logic, too little of sleep will leave oneself with negative effects, including fatality (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Through personal experience, being sleep deprived effects one’s ability to:
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Concentrate
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Produces motivation on general activities
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Can induce mood swings.
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Often, it is quite difficult to have the energy to perform any form of basic activities, without proper sleeping, our bodies cannot fully recover.
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Delays in our motor functions are apparent.
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What is profound is that research has shown that sleep depravity is linked to numerous chronic illnesses, such as:
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Heart Disease
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Kidney Disease
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High Blood Pressure
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Diabetes
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Stroke
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Obesity
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Depression (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
One interesting fact regarding lack of sleep is that if someone is attempting to drive while sleep deprived, it is in the same nature as if someone operates a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
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According to this scholarly article on sleep fatigue during driving, “the effects of fatigue are often compared to the effects of alcohol on driving performance”, which indicated that people who were sleep deprived, their “psychomotor and cognitive performance” rivaled that of “test participants with a blood alcohol content of 0.5 g/l.” (Vogelpohl, 2019).
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Not enough sleep will negatively affect oneself.
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In the CDC website, there is a table that shows different age ranges and the recommended hours of sleep a day.
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In the case of college students and most adults ranging between the ages of “18-60 years”, at least “7 or more hours per night” is needed for our bodies to be well-rested (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
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