What is sleep deprivation?

Sleep deprivation is a common shortage of the essential amount of sleep. Sleep deprivation may be as a result of sleep disorders or deliberate encouragement such as in interrogation or for torture. Sleep deprivation is a situation where somebody does not get the required amount of sleep and it can all sides of their lives. 

Sleep deprivation may result in aching muscles, blurred vision, clinical depression, constipation, dark circles under the eyes, daytime drowsiness and naps, excessive daytime sleepiness, decreased mental activity and concentration delirium, depersonalization, dizziness, fainting, hand tremors, headache, hyperactivity, hypertension, irritability, loss of appetite, memory lapses or loss, nausea, nystagmus, pallor, psychosis-like symptoms, severe yawning, sleep paralysis, slowed reaction time, slowed wound healing, slurred and/or nonsensical speech, synaesthesia, temper tantrums in children, weakened immune system, weight loss or weight gain etc. 

Doctors and researchers still do not understand the correct purpose of sleeping. When you do not get enough sleep, your mental, emotional, and physical well being may be affected. When sleep deprivation occurs you feel drowsy, fatigued, grouchy, tired and suffer from confusion.  

Sleep deprivation become dangerous in some situations. Sleep deprivation amplifies alcohol's effects on the body, so a fatigued person who consumes alcohol will become even more damaged. Driver fatigue is accountable for many vehicle accidents. Avoid watching TV when you are trying to fall asleep. This motivates your brain and only makes it harder to flow off.  

How many hours sleep do I need?

The number of hours needed to sleep is a matter of "circadian rhythm," or the biological clock function which regulates our sleep-wake cycles. Sleep requirements differ from individual to individual, depending on age, physical activity levels, general health and other individual factors. The most common duration four sleep requirement for different age conditions are following.  

The primary school children require about 9 to 10 hours. Various researches showed that by increasing the sleep duration of children we can dramatically improve their performance in the School. The teenagers also need about nine to 10 hours. Teenagers have an improved sleep requirement at the time when social engagements and peer pressure cause a decrease in sleep time. Lifestyle factors such as early school start times deprive them of the required sleep-in. The adults need about 8 hours, depending on personal factors.  

The sleep requirement for each person is different. Some people only need about 5 to 6 hours of sleep and 10 to 11 for some others. Some studies about sleep requirement showed that the best duration of night sleep is about 8 to 9 hours. We must consider how much sleep is needed on an individual basis. For new born babies having sleep-wake cycles that are frequent and evenly spaced during 24 hour period of time. The sleep-wake cycles goes on with 3 to 4 hours sleeping and 1 to 2 hours waking around the clock. 

How can I optimize reaction time?

Sleep deprivation and reaction time go hand in hand. Eventually, the persons who are not getting sufficient sleep will see a considerable impact on their physical and mental abilities. Some recent studies showed that the responses of someone who is considerably deprived of sleep will be similar to the responses of those who have addicted alcohol. 

Sleep deprivation is the cause of a lot of physical and mental problems. One of the main problems of sleep deprivation is the connection with the reaction time. Studies have shown that people who are suffering from sleep deprivation have the similar problems with reaction time as people who have been consuming drinks that contain alcohol. In fact in some situations, those suffering from sleep deprivation actually have poorer reaction times than those who are under the assistance of alcohol. 

From the above data it is proved that the reaction time can be optimized by governing enough sleep without sleep deprivation. By avoiding alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation can be eliminated and reaction time can be improved. The reaction time can be optimized with the help of avoiding busy life style and gaining enough sleep. For example if you have sleep deprivation you must avoid driving, because the reaction time will be increased but not optimized.  

Studies regarding sleep deprivation and reaction time

The studies regarding sleep deprivation and reaction time is more. Some of them are following. According to reports from the British Journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, getting anything less than six hours of sleep per night can seriously affect your ability to react to situations. It poses a very serious risk to your health and to those around you because it becomes less likely to respond fast enough in situations. 

A Stanford research project, headed by Nelson.B.Powell, DDS, MD, showed that those who were sleep deprived and then had their reaction times tested faired nearly as poorly as those considered legally drunk. This study was the first to show that there was a severe impairment of the individuals even at mild to moderate level of sleep disturbances. 

Sleep deprivation can adversely affect brain function. A 2000 study conducted by the UCSD School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Diego, used functional magnetic resonance imaging technology to monitor action in the brains of sleep-deprived subjects performing simple verbal learning tasks.  

A 2003 Universtity of California study found that REM sleep deprivation alleviates clinical depression. Although the mechanism is unclear it is suggested that the deprivation mimics the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) however the study also indicated that REM sleep was essential for blocking neurotransmitters and allowing the neurotransmitter receptors to "rest" and regain sensitivity which in turn leads to improved regulation of mood and increased learning ability.  

Some animal studies suggest that sleep deprivation increases stress hormones, which may reduce new cell production in adult brains. According to a 2000 study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers in Australia and New Zealand reported that sleep deprivation can have some of the same hazardous effects as being drunk. People who drove after being awake for 17–19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent, which is the legal limit for drunk driving in most western European countries.