The Importance Of Sleep Deprivation And Health

The alarming statistical deviations from the general UCB populations that were present in my data results, combined with my own experiences and observations concerning my community, made clear that issues regarding lack of pacing regarding alcohol consumption and excessive tiredness due to poor quality of sleep pose as the top two health threats of my floor. Also, given that there is an interconnectedness regarding alcohol consumption and sleep, my partner and I decided that focusing on these two health topics will not only help reinforce each other when it comes to policy implementation, but also garner the greatest benefit onto my community. Since I’ve taken an active role in making sure I received enough sleep since the beginning of this semester and have seen improvements in my productivity after taking such measures, I decided to tackle the …show more content…
In the short term, sleep deprivation leads to decreased performance as a result of the inhibition of attention, memory storage and memory recall; in addition, visual processing capacity and reaction time is significantly reduced since “missing an hour or two of sleep is the equivalent to having a couple of drinks” (Cohen and Resnick, 2016). Therefore, excessive daytime sleepiness and decreased alertness may lead to cognitive impairment or automobile accidents. Exhaustion also leads to skipping class: a consequence that was addressed in the beginning of this discussion. In the long run, poor sleep schedules may pose a serious threat to the significant portion of my community (~30%) that is involved in a romantic relationship. Sleep is necessary for emotional balance; without it, couples do not have the ability to work through arguments as well (Cohen and Resnick, 2016). The medical, long-term consequences associated with chronic sleep deprivation include increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, attention deficit disorder, and heart attack (Breus,