The Importance of Sleep by Kealey

The Importance of Sleep by Kealey - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our lives. For many, sleep is too often undervalued. But when all's said and done, we should place sleep as a higher priority in our lives because it enhances our physical and cognitive performance, improves our memory, and supports survival mechanisms.
Sleep provides cognitive and physical health benefits that allow the human body to function more properly. I personally perform better in all aspects of life if I receive adequate amounts of sleep. Because of this, I strive to be in bed by my set bedtime (no later than 10:30 pm). There are instances, specifically on the weekend that I stay up later. In contrast, my father does not get enough sleep. During my teenage years, he would consistently go to bed around 11 pm or midnight and wake up at either 3:00 or 4:00 am. The reality of the need for sleep finally sunk in when my dad was diagnosed with Pseudotumor cerebri, or swelling of the optic nerve. Other health problems escalated as an after effect. Although there are no known causes of this condition, the doctors suggested that inadequate amounts of sleep may have been a contributing factor.
In findings reported by the National Institution of Health,sleep is necessary to heal and repair the body’s immune functions, regulate a healthy balance of hormones, and also aids in growth and development. Like my father, sometimes the suffering presents itself in extremities. But more often than not, little things such as the common cold or flu affect those that don’t get enough sleep more. Because sleep is individualized, a person must ensure they get adequate amounts of sleep for proper physical functioning on a daily basis.
Not only does sleep affect our physical abilities, it can enhance our overall mental abilities. In general, humans function better when they get enough sleep. Dr. Ferraro and Dr. Genarro, two Italian sleep psychologists, suggest a direct correlation indicating that performance ability declines as the number of hours of sleep declines. During sleep the brain builds and strengthens neurological pathways. When not enough sleep occurs, a person increases their risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression. Thus, this evidence provides support for doctors and therapists who suggest sleep as a remedy, both to cure physical and cognitive illnesses.
Sleep also affects our memory. Being able to remember, retain, and recall are the three “Rs” to memory. The human memory relies on sleep for the enhancement of these. Dr. Jan Born, and Dr. Ines Wilhelm, two German psychology professors, recently conducted a study to find the relationship between sleep and memory. Their research indicates that sleep helps convert implicit knowledge or patterns, into explicit knowledge that is retained in the brain. Memory consolidation cannot happen correctly without sleep. Born and Wilhelm also found that sleep improves long-term memory. They suggest that sleep could be the process in which newly encoded memory representations are redistributed to other neuron networks serving as long-term storage. When I practiced for piano competitions in high school and attempted to memorize a song, I often played it right before bed. The next day, I could recall the music better compared to practicing it in the early afternoon. Thus, sleep becomes a beneficiary factor for memory.
Sleep is not an independent variable. In fact, although sleep is important, there are many other things that are necessary to having a well-balanced life. Culture, family, work, social life, and values all determine one’s way of living. Despite the situations that make up a person’s life, sleep deserves greater prioritization. Dr. Michael Colgan, a world-wide renowned research scientist relates, “Sleep could be considered more important than food in maintaining physical and cognitive health if water supply is sufficient.” Sleep acts as as a survival tool, when not put to use, it can cause serious work-related and life-threatening crises. In 2005, The National Sleep Foundation found about 60% of all drivers have driven drowsy, furthermore 100,000 car accidents are sleep related. This included 1550 deaths and 71,000 injuries. This lack of sleep is a weapon: the sleep deficient driver becomes the offender, and other drivers on the road become the victims. Detecting drowsy driving tends to be more difficult to detect than things such as seat belt usage or driving under the influence. But, sleep deprivation and fatigue make lapses of attention more likely to occur. Sleep is a major factor that potentially saves lives.
Even with the productivity of our society, Americans need to place a greater importance on sleep. Sleep is beneficial to maintaining and improving our cognitive and physical performances, memory functions, and acts a survival mechanism. As Russell Foster put it “Sleep is the golden chain that ties all aspects of health [and life] together.” If we placed sleep as a greater importance in our society, there would be less accidents, injuries, illnesses, and overall greater happiness levels. Take the initiative and start today to get enough sleep; crawl into your pajamas, and snuggle on into your bed for a full night's sleep.