Kolinski 1

Haven Kolinski

Romine

English

17 September 2018

Sleep Plays a Key in Health Issues

Sleep clearly plays a key role in everyone’s health. Not only is it a necessity for

someone’s mental health, but also their physical health. With lack of sleep, people are at a higher

risk for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It has also been proven to shorten one’s life

expectancy. Studies prove that sleep has a direct impact on health, so everyone needs to make

sure they are getting our suggested hours of sleep (depending on age). There may be some

reasons a person cannot sleep at night due to a medical condition, so it is vital to try to get

medication for such a problem. (Watson, The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body).

Adults on average need about 8 hours of sleep. Some need more, some need less. But

how does someone know if you are sleep deprived? If they wake up tired and spend their day

thinking about going home and taking a nap, they are probably sleep deprived. They may also be

sleep deprived if you feel irritable. If someone feels this way, they need to get some more sleep

at night. There can be many reasons why someone does not sleep well at night. Some examples

include sleep apnea, insomnia, anaemia, underactive thyroid, depression, and restless leg

syndrome. (Sleep and Health).

Some people neglect their need for sleep, reasoning “It will not bother me, I will be okay.

Who cares if I do not have enough sleep, I need to get stuff done. I do not have time for sleep!”
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This reasoning is flawed. It is easy to think this way, but the long term effects from sleep

deprivation is devastating on someone’s health ! As stated above, lack of sleep puts people at

risk for heart disease, blood pressure problems, depression, anxiety, obesity, and diabetes.

Clearly, it is dangerous to someone’s health by neglecting their body’s need for sleep. The

evidence and studies that have been performed about the effects of sleep deprivation speaks for

itself when presenting why sleep is important and plays a key role in a person’s health. Not

getting enough sleep also shortens one’s life expectancy, so by someone thinking that sleep is

important, could cut off some years of someone’s life.

An occasional night of no sleep will not hurt someone’s health. It may make them feel

irritable and tired, but it will not cause any damage to someone’s health. The danger is when that

lack of sleep is persistent. The brain will start to cloud up and it will be harder concentrating,

making decisions, and forming memories. It could also be a hazard to drive for them and others

on the road. Lack of sleep weakens the immune system, so the body become more prone to

illnesses. Being sleep deprived can increase the risk of putting on weight. A study proves this

because people who need sleep have less of the hormone that makes a person feel full and more

of the hormone that makes a person feel hungry. (Why Lack of Sleep Is Bad for Your Health).

While people sleep, their body rebalances your chemicals and heals the body. Without

that sleep, the body cannot do that. Coffee and other energy stimulants cannot make up for this

lack of sleep because the body cannot use this to make up for the needed chemical restoration

that happens when someone sleep. The chemicals keep everything balanced, giving people the

ability to think clearly, process and form memories, and keeps one’s mental and physical health

in check. During sleep, hormones are released (like human growth hormones). Sleep is vital for
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children for development because of those growth hormones that get released during sleep. This

also explains why adults need less sleep than children. Sleep also clears out waste from the brain

to help cognitive ability. (How Sleep Clears the Brain). This is why it is wrong to assume not

getting enough sleep is perfectly fine.

Sleep is vital for a person’s health. In the long run, being sleep deprived can destroy

someone’s health because sleep restores and balances the body. It helps the brain balance the

chemicals that makes a human body function correctly. It makes the body function correctly both

mentally, and physically. This goes hand-in-hand because your mental health can affect your

physical health, and your physical health can affect your mental health. For example, if someone

is hungry and does not eat for a while, they may become angry and irritable. If someone has

depression, anxiety, or stress (which sleep deprivation can cause), it could weaken their immune

system; therefore, potentially making them sick. This is why it is important to get the

recommended number of hours of sleep in for a person’s specific age group. It is wrong to

assume that nothing bad will happen when someone is sleep deprived.
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Works Cited

Watson, Stephanie. “The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your body.” 25 June 2017.

https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body#1

“Why Lack of Sleep is Bad for Your Health.” 30 May 2018.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/

Office of Communications. “How is the Body affected by Sleep Deprivation.” 1 Dec 2016

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/sleep/conditioninfo/sleep-deprivation

Division of Population Health. “Sleep and Health.” 18 Sept 2018.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sleep.htm

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep.” 6

Jul 2018

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-sleep

“How Sleep Clears the Brain.” 18 Oct 2013

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-sleep-clears-brain