The Importance Of Lack Of Sleep

These past few weeks in the First Year Odyssey class, “Is Less More? The Promise and Problems of Restricting the Work Hours and Schedule of Physicians”, we have been reading a handful of articles from different books about the importance of sleep and diseases related to lack of sleep. We analyzed the risks of injuries due to sleep deprivation while in residency programs and the journals of residents writing about their different experiences also. Following the readings, we have class discussions about the importance of sleep and the dangers of chronic fatigue. We also have discussed the hours, schedules, and lives of residents before the reforms of resident work hours. In addition to discussing the affect the hours before the reform had on the residents, the families of the residents, and the patients. Despite the tradition of what residents endure to become doctors, with the information we have about the dangers of chronic fatigue, it is debatably stupid to continue those …show more content…
Lack of sleep can lead to the increased risk of health related problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. The lack of sleep is also equivalent to legal drunkenness and plays a role in being able to function the same. Lack of sleep being similar to legal drunkenness effects how effectively people can work while being tired at work. Many companies lose a lot of money by having employees working while extremely tired or sleep deprived. Less work can be accomplished and it is counterproductive to the business. The same goes for students studying in school or residents working in their residency programs. Having residents work while being extremely sleep deprived increases the chances of accidents and mistakes occurring. Thus, creating the question if residents are truly learning under these conditions or should more reforms be made to the work hours of