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Sleep Deprivation

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Sleep Deprivation, Disorder, and Drugs
Psy/240
May 29, 2011
Roberto Vado

Sleep Deprivation, Disorder, and Drugs
Sleep deprivation and disorders are problems that many people deal with every day. As a mother of three small children, two of which are twins, I have many experiences with lack of sleep. My most recent experience with sleep deprivation was in the last month I was so stressed out that it made me physically ill. I had such an awful stomach ache that it kept me up at night. I would fall asleep and be awake an hour later, then fall back to sleep two hours later and be awake again in 45 minutes. It was like this for a month and it did not start getting better until a couple of days ago.
My experience does coincide with the effects of sleep deprivation described in the text. “When you sleep substantially less than you are used to, the next day you feel crabby and unable to function as well as you usually do”(Pinel, 2009). Sleep deprivation made me feel very sleepy. If I did not keep myself busy I would fall asleep on the couch, which would scare me because then my children were unsupervised. I also felt very irritable. I would get very angry over small things that normally would not upset me. I also would feel like I could not function normal. When I would try to read school work the words would seem to scramble together.
Long-term sleep deprivation has many effects on a person. “One of the most important findings of human sleep deprivation research is that individuals who are deprived of sleep become more efficient sleepers” (Pinel, 2009). I have noticed that when I have trouble sleeping for a few days, when I am finally able to sleep, I sleep very well. Sleep deprivation can also affect your immune system, your memory, and your mood. As stated previously, I noticed irritability and a nausea feeling when sleep deprived.
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