Sleep Deprivation, Disorders, and Drugs

Personal Experience with Not Enough Sleep

One Saturday night, I was up late waiting for my husband to come home from work. The kids were asleep and it was very quiet. I was wide awake looking at old photos, looking for a few new ones to hang on the wall. We have been in our new apartment for over a month and needed photos of the family on the wall. It felt like my brain was in overdrive; I constantly had a new idea or thought every few minutes. I had background noise on so I wouldn’t get sleepy. I did not pay attention to the time; it was nearly two o’clock in the morning when my husband came home. We began playing Xbox and I was more awake than before. Next thing we knew, it was five in the morning. I had to get up the next day to bring my daughter to church. I had only slept for four hours. I normally sleep five to six hours a night. I did not want to go to sleep because I did not feel tired. But as soon as I laid my head on the pillow, I was asleep in a matter of minutes.

Mood, Behavior, and Cognitive Motor Skills

My daughter had to wake me the next day so I could bring her to church. I was very tired; I did not want to drive her anywhere. I was irritated that I agreed to bring her. I tried to talk her out of going but soon changed my mind. My temper was short and tension was high. My feelings were on edge, easy to become upset and mood changed rapidly. I had a headache, was very hungry, and irritable until afternoon. In the afternoon and evening hours, I was more normal with a little sleepiness but I did not take a nap. I tried to stay busy during the day, running errands, cleaning the house, and completing assignments. Sometimes I would forget what I was doing but for the most part I was performing normally. The evening went well, as though I had slept normal. However, when the sun set I had a difficult time keeping my eyes open past ten o’clock. I think I fell asleep on the couch watching television and waiting for my husband to get home from work.

Effects with Sleep Deprivation

According to Pinel (2009, p. 357), “sleep-deprived subjects display an increase in sleepiness,” disturbances of mood, and response times. Some cognitive abilities are affected negatively with sleep deprivation, including making plans, a change in plans, thinking, and remembering. Motor function decreased with less sleep but I could still function normally. Recuperation theories predict physiological and behavioral disturbances as sleep deprivation continues. When sleep is restored physiological and behavior disturbances subside. When sleep patterns begin to normalize, the brain learns to function on less sleep. Normal functions return with the continued sleep pattern. Changing the sleep pattern and reducing the amount of sleep one gets each night can cause some consequences.

Long-Term Effects of Sleep Reduction

Long term sleep reduction differs from sleep deprivation because the brain may adapt to the changes in sleep patterns. Reducing sleep gradually will allow the brain to adapt without adverse consequences. However, if sleep is reduced immediately for several weeks or longer a deficit in mood and performance is experienced. According to Pinel (2009, p. 369), “A reduction in sleep time was associated with an increase in sleep efficiency: a decrease in the amount of time it took the subjects to fall asleep after going to bed, a decrease in the number of nighttime awakenings, and in increase in the proportion of stage 4 sleep.” Losing sleep every night makes it difficult to perform daily tasks efficiently. Most people experience daytime sleepiness, which can become a problem if naps are not initiated. Research has shown that naps have a recuperating effect.

Common Sleeping Disorders

According to Pinel (2009), sleep disorders typically fall into two categories: insomnia and hypersomnia. A third category is REM sleep-related disorders. Insomnia is a sleep disorder which a person cannot fall asleep or stay asleep. Many times insomnia is caused by sleeping pills, which are highly addictive. The body builds a tolerance to the medication and will require more to produce the same effects. Hypersomnia is a disorder in which people get too much sleep or a sleepy all the time. Narcolepsy is the most common form of hypersomnia and includes severe daytime sleepiness. A person with narcolepsy can fall into a deep REM sleep at any moment of the day; while driving, talking, or eating. Narcolepsy can also be classified as a REM-sleep-related disorder. REM sleep prevents people from acting out their dreams because the core muscle atonia is present. This controls muscle relaxation during REM sleep. Medications can help with many sleep disorders.

Common Drug Remedies

Drugs that influence sleep fall into two classifications: hypnotic or anti-hypnotic. A third class of drugs that influence sleep has a main component: melatonin. Hypnotic drugs are typically used for anxiety and include such drugs as Valium and Librium. These drugs “increase drowsiness, decrease the time it takes to fall asleep, reduce awakenings during the night, and increase total sleep time” (Pinel, 2009, p. 365). Anti-hypnotic drugs include two classifications: stimulants and tricyclic antidepressants. Using stimulants to reduce sleepiness is risky; the drugs are highly addictive and produce side effects such as loss of appetite. Both stimulants work with the brain to either increase dopamine or epinephrine or block the reuptake from the synapse. The third drug is melatonin, which is a “hormone that is synthesized from the neurotransmitter serotonin in the pineal gland (Moore, 1996)” (Pinel, 2009, p. 365). Melatonin plays an important role in sleep and regulating the timing of sleep. Melatonin improves sleep for insomniacs who have a deficiency in melatonin and to blind people who cannot regulate the light-dark cycle. However, melatonin remains controversial.

References

Pinel, J. P.J. (2009). Biopsychology (7th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.