The Importance of Sleep

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Abstract This paper describes how sleep is essential in everyone’s daily life. People think that there are so many other things that are more important than getting those few extra hours of sleep at night or in the morning. The quantity and quality of sleep adversely affects basic functions such as mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical energy, and even weight. The internal sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, of a person can be easily thrown off by many factors, causing a person to feel groggy, disoriented, cranky, and sleepy at inconvenient times. There are two main types of sleep: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM). Each represents the different stages of sleep in a 90 minute cycle during an 8-9 hour night spent asleep. Each age group has a specific amount of sleep they should be getting, but many cannot due to various sleep disorders that can be treated if needed. The four most common disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, Restless leg Syndrome (RLS), and narcolepsy. The Importance of Sleep Many people may disregard sleep as unimportant, thus suffering from lack of sleep. There are so many things that seem more important than getting a few more hours of sleep. Surveys conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (1999-2004) state that at least 40 million Americans put up with over 70 different sleep disorders, and 60 percent of adults have reported sleep problems a few nights a week or more. Most individuals with these problems go undiagnosed and untreated (“Importance of Sleep,” 2012). Also, more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month, with 20 percent reporting feeling sleepy a few days a week or more. Furthermore, 69 percent of children experience one or more sleep problems a few nights or

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