Sleep Deprivation

Question: Sleep Deprivation? I am taking Psychology class and have to do a report on Sleep Deprivation. How do I define sleep Deprivation?

Answer: Sleep Deprivation: The collective negative effects, physically, mentally, and emotionally, resulting from achieving fewer hours of deep sleep than that which is required by one's body and mind for optimal functioning. This minimum requirement varies by person, activity level, nutrition, etc...

Question: What effect does sleep deprivation have on your reflexes? My friend and I are doing a science fair project and we would like to know what effects sleep deprivation has on your reflexes and how we could test those effects. If you have any more information on sleep deprivation and you would tell us we would greatly appreciate it. Ten points for the anwser with the most information.Thanks in advance. :-)

Answer: Slows me down. I find that I tend to 'space out' when I'm too tired and then realize that I have to respond to some sort of stimulus or action. VERY scary on the road; I try to make sure I get some sleep (although it's tough to do when travelling a lot for work)! Good for you on this project. My suggestion to test would be to have one of you stay up and then try some physical tests (toss a ball at the one who stayed up - see if they can catch it easily and quickly, listen to a list of word duos and then try to repeat the other word when the first is read, etc.). Good luck!

Question: What are the short and long term effects of sleep deprivation? Okay, so lately (well for quite a while) I have been experiencing sleep issues eg, not being able to sleep at all, getting one/two hours sleep at a ridiculous hour and having to do a 'routine' before being able to sleep. What I am asking is this: What are the short and long term effects of sleep deprivation? Also, if you have any extra information about sleep issues it would be great. Thanks, a lot.

Answer: Sleep deprivation and/or exhaustion. Physical and emotional exhaustion can induce hallucinations by blurring the line between sleep and wakefulness. A person who loses one night’s sleep will generally be irritable and clumsy during the next day and will either become tired easily or speed up because of adrenalin. After missing two night’s sleep, a person will have problems concentrating and will begin to make mistakes on normal tasks. Three missed nights and a person will start to hallucinate and lose grasp of reality. Someone who gets just a few hours of sleep each night occurs a large “sleep debt� and can begin to experience many of the same problems over time. A 1997 study found that people whose sleep was restricted to four to five hours per night for one week needed two full nights of sleep to recover performance, alertness and normal mood. Other short-term consequences include: * Decreased daytime alertness. Loss of just one and half hours sleep can result in a 32% reduction in daytime alertness. * Impaired memory and cognitive ability, the ability to think and process information. * More than double the risk of sustaining an occupational injury. * Impaired immune system. Long-term consequences can include the following: * High blood pressure * Heart attack * Heart failure * Stroke * Psychiatric problems such as depression and other mood disorders * Mental impairment * Increased mortality risk * Relationship problems with a bed partner * Obesity - (The link between obesity and sleep is an interesting one as lack of sleep can cause weight gain by increasing hunger and affecting metabolism, and extra weight can cause sleep disorders such as apnea which cause sleep deprivation.)

Question: Why does sleep deprivation make the symptoms of sleep apnea worse? I recently did a sleep study and found that I have obstructive sleep apnea and it causes me to wake up during the night - often many times. I go through cycles where the problem gets much worse, one night of poor sleep leads to another worse night of interupted sleep, and so on - sometimes for a month or even more. I have heard that sleep deprivation makes the symptoms of sleep apnea much worse, and as I am searching for the right treatments, I was just interested in finding out why - what is the mechanism that causes this? Very strenuous exercise during the day or early evening can have the same effect. Thank you for any insights.

Answer: Actually, sleep apnea is a condition where you actually stop breathing during sleep. For most people, this causes them to wake up quickly; for others, it's a life-threatening situation (especially for babies and small children). I imagine if you're not getting much rest, when you do finally get to sleep your body is so tired it's hard for your body to wake up when you stop breathing. Also, even though your body eventually trains itself to sleep lightly in order potentially avoid apnea, when YOU finally get some sleep your body falls into a deeper sleep. This makes it harder for your body to avoid apnea. I would advise you to get plenty of rest whenever possible. I believe you should obtain a sleep apnea monitor from your physician. This will sound an alarm to wake you up when you stop breathing, or if your oxygen saturation level drops below a certain percentage. This may alleviate some of your anxiety and help you sleep better at night. Just a thought. Good luck.

Question: Can the effects of sleep deprivation last even after you get your sleeping under control? Or does it all go back to normal. I mean if you have lots of memory lost and thinking issues during sleep deprivation but get it back under control, will the effects still haunt you long after? And you have had problems with this for years.

Answer: long term effects are basically the gaps caused by being deprived.

Question: What illnesses can you get out of sleep deprivation? I have slept for only 7 hours over the last 3 days due to the amount of work I've been doing. My lymph nodes on the neck are swollen. Are there any illnesses that can be a direct result of sleep deprivation? Does it weaken ones immune system?

Answer: yes it will weaken your immune system! -- Your brain will not be able to form memories as well as it should. This means your memory will suffer (both long and short term). -- You will develop ADHD symptoms: Inability to focus or concentrate. -- You are at risk for developing or aggravating a mood disorder like depression. -- You can develop stress-related illnesses like skin rashes or irritable bowel syndrome. -- You will gain weight: When sleep deprived you will crave fattier foods, eat more of them, and your body will put fat on your body more quickly. -- Your hormore levels will be adversely affected: For men and women this means sexual disfunction among other problems. Have fun!

Question: What are good ways to test sleep deprivation? I have a science project. I have to describe my project. My project is on sleep deprivation. Can some one PLEASE help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are some ways i can test the test subjects, to see how sleep deprivation works?

Answer: Some of the common sleep loss effects and sleep deprivation signs are: - Fatigue with persistent yawning and the tendency to doze off during day hours - Reduction in mental and physical productivity - Lack of concentration with a short attention span - Impaired memory and learning ability If you want to test somebody for these signs you may use 2 groups of people. One sleep deprived and another one regular. Give them some project or puzzle to solve, and check how long it will take to solve the project in each group Good luck

Question: What are some signs of sleep deprivation? I usually get 5-6 hours of sleep on weeknights, and a max of 8 on weekends. My eyes are always bloodshot and the corners of my sclera are a tint of light yellow. Is this sleep deprivation?

Answer: Answering & voting your daily limit on Yahoo answers? :) The bloodshot part could be a lack of sleep but the fact that your eyes are yellow is worrisome. That could be a result of jaundice. I think you should talk to your doctor and get checked out. Your eyes should not be yellowing. Do a quick search on Web MD for sleep deprivation and fatigue and you'll get the best symptoms list. Good luck.

Question: What are the long term effects of sleep deprivation? I would like to try and see how long I can stay up without sleep. My goal is a week. What are the long term effects if any of sleep deprivation? Short term? Please indicate if it is a short term or long term effect.

Answer: Generally, lack of sleep may result in: aching muscles blurred vision (especially up close if you are farsighted and have glasses or contacts) clinical depression constipation dark circles under the eyes daytime drowsiness and naps, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) decreased mental activity and concentration delirium depersonalization/derealization dizziness fainting hallucinations hand tremors headache hyperactivity hypertension irritability loss of appetite memory lapses or loss nausea nystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement) pallor psychosis-like symptoms severe yawning sleep paralysis (while awake) slowed reaction time slowed wound healing slurred and/or nonsensical speech synaesthesia temper tantrums in children weakened immune system weight loss or weight gain symptoms similar to: Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder alcoholic intoxication I think all are short-term.

Question: How does one recover from five years of sleep deprivation? I'm a high school senior that's averaged five or so hours of sleep a night for the past four or five years. Studies vary on the amount of sleep adolescents are in need of, but I've noticed they generally name a figure of around nine hours. I've never been to a sleep clinic; however, I have been under medical care before. The best they could do is help me get more sleep -- not how to recover from the effects of deprivation. Rarely do I wake up and feel rested, even with what should be a sufficient amount of rest. What is the best way to recover from years of sleep deprevation? Reading the responses so far; I apologize if I seem overly dramatic. It isn't my intention to. All that might be needed to answer the question is in the header itself. I supplied details only in hopes to find a more refined answer geared towards my situation. If it helps, you can feel free to ignore the details. With that said, I appreciate all the answers so far, and would appreciate that everyone keep an open mind and consider my situation when replying.

Answer: Vitamin B complexes in the mornings, get to sleep earlier in the evenings. Eat plenty of protein (grassfed beef, organic milk, free range eggs), avoid refined sugars. Turn off the TV. Protein before bedtime. ("Potatoes, not Prozac" has some good diet tips for stress recovery)