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The Price of Being
Deprived
That we are not
much sicker and much madder than we are
is due exclusively
to that most blessed and blessing of all natural grace , sleep.
~ Aldous Huxley
In today’s fast and
ultra-modern world, more people than ever are sleep deprived. Everyday
there seems to be twice (or thrice!) as much work and half as much time to
complete it in.
In fact, a poll by
the National Sleep Foundation reported that 65% of people do not get
enough sleep. Sleep experts recommend an average of 8 hours of sleep each
night. The financial loss to US businesses is estimated to be at least $18
billion each year.
Many tragedies that
have been linked to human error were also due to severe sleep deprivation.
Some examples include: Exxon Valdez oil spill, the NASA Challenger shuttle
explosion, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident. At its extreme, sleep
deprivation can lead to death, such as the famous death through overwork
known as Karoshi in Japan.
So what causes sleep
deprivation? Here is a short list.
- Not allowing enough
time for sleep
- Anything that
causes insomnia or poor quality sleep
- Environment (noise,
temperature, bed partner’s snoring or periodic movements)
- Sleeping disorders
(such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome)
- Anxiety, stress, or
depression
- Misuse of caffeine,
nicotine, alcohol, and dangerous drugs
- Shift work
- Jet lag
- Medication (such as
decongestants, antihistamines, betablockers)
- Health problems
(diabetes, anemia, Alzheimer’s disease, heart and pulmonary diseases)
- Medical illness
Sleep deprivation is
also known to have alarming consequences. In fact in a study published in
the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, researchers
in Australia and New Zealand report that sleep deprivation can have some
of the same hazardous effects as being drunk.
Experts agree that
sleep helps the brain recharge its energy and store memories for the long
term. Sleep also helps the body fight off infection. People who don’t get
enough sleep may lack energy, be depressed or irritable and get sick more
often than people who get enough of it.
But the most common
consequence of lost sleep has become a public health issue – sleeping
behind the wheel. It has been estimated that the cost to society of sleep
disorders that includes lost productivity, absenteeism at work, people
getting into accidents and the cost of medications amount to billions of
dollars a year. |
