Sleep Deprivation and the Brain
How many times is do you answer "No, I'm fine. I'm just tired" when someone asks "Is something wrong?"
How often is "tired" the first word you use to describe yourself when a friend asks how you're doing? And how often is the second word "busy"?
We seem to think of ourselves as tired with an alarmingly regular frequency.
But maybe you're not just tired.
You could have a serious sleep deprivation problem.
Studies show that the majority of our society doesn't give themselves the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. We are normalizing the effects of sleep deprivation! We see them everywhere.
A co-worker rubbing his eyes and yawning every 10 minutes.
A woman falling asleep on the bus.
Our own eyes glazing over as we try to focus on reading the paper.
These examples seem commonplace, regular, accepted.
But did you know that every year an estimated 25,000 people die as a result of accidents caused by lack of sleep? More and more people are falling asleep at the wheel.
More of us are sleep deprived. And it's causing serious consequences.
Let this be a wakeup call to us all!
Some of us may feel as though when sacrifices have to be made, sleep should be the first to go. This is not the case!
Some of us may even feel proud over how little sleep we can survive on. A lack of sleep may seem a battle scar from the wild night before – to be proudly worn, and repeatedly discussed. It may seem a necessary sacrifice towards better marks – maybe you feel as though if you're studying instead of sleeping, it's okay.
It's not.
When a lack of sleep becomes a pattern, serious consequences set in.
Technically speaking, we SHOULD be getting 1 hour of sleep for every 2 we are awake. Ultimately, we would all be awake for 16 hours in a day, and asleep a full 8. Keep in mind, the less we sleep, the more dramatically we widen the gap between the ideal 2:1 ratio.
Letting sleep deprivation run your life is NOT an option. Living your life half-awake is not safe, not fair to those you interact with, and definitely not enjoyable for you.
Think you don't have time for the recommended 8 hours of sleep? Consider this: your productivity is dramatically decreased when under the effects of sleep deprivation. When you take into account the side effects it causes – such as memory loss, inability to concentrate, trouble speaking, and decreased reaction time – sleep deprivation makes it impossible to perform any task up to your usual standard.
Do you feel as though you have too long of a to-do list to go to bed on time? Are you sacrificing sleep with the intention of getting more done in a day?
Think of it this way: a sleep deprived brain dramatically affects your speed and accuracy on virtually every task you would complete in a day.
What's the best way to achieve optimal production in a day?
Get the recommended 8 hours of sleep every night!
How often is "tired" the first word you use to describe yourself when a friend asks how you're doing? And how often is the second word "busy"?
We seem to think of ourselves as tired with an alarmingly regular frequency.
But maybe you're not just tired.
You could have a serious sleep deprivation problem.
Studies show that the majority of our society doesn't give themselves the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. We are normalizing the effects of sleep deprivation! We see them everywhere.
A co-worker rubbing his eyes and yawning every 10 minutes.
A woman falling asleep on the bus.
Our own eyes glazing over as we try to focus on reading the paper.
These examples seem commonplace, regular, accepted.
But did you know that every year an estimated 25,000 people die as a result of accidents caused by lack of sleep? More and more people are falling asleep at the wheel.
More of us are sleep deprived. And it's causing serious consequences.
Let this be a wakeup call to us all!
Some of us may feel as though when sacrifices have to be made, sleep should be the first to go. This is not the case!
Some of us may even feel proud over how little sleep we can survive on. A lack of sleep may seem a battle scar from the wild night before – to be proudly worn, and repeatedly discussed. It may seem a necessary sacrifice towards better marks – maybe you feel as though if you're studying instead of sleeping, it's okay.
It's not.
When a lack of sleep becomes a pattern, serious consequences set in.
Technically speaking, we SHOULD be getting 1 hour of sleep for every 2 we are awake. Ultimately, we would all be awake for 16 hours in a day, and asleep a full 8. Keep in mind, the less we sleep, the more dramatically we widen the gap between the ideal 2:1 ratio.
Letting sleep deprivation run your life is NOT an option. Living your life half-awake is not safe, not fair to those you interact with, and definitely not enjoyable for you.
Think you don't have time for the recommended 8 hours of sleep? Consider this: your productivity is dramatically decreased when under the effects of sleep deprivation. When you take into account the side effects it causes – such as memory loss, inability to concentrate, trouble speaking, and decreased reaction time – sleep deprivation makes it impossible to perform any task up to your usual standard.
Do you feel as though you have too long of a to-do list to go to bed on time? Are you sacrificing sleep with the intention of getting more done in a day?
Think of it this way: a sleep deprived brain dramatically affects your speed and accuracy on virtually every task you would complete in a day.
What's the best way to achieve optimal production in a day?
Get the recommended 8 hours of sleep every night!
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