Sleep deprivation is one the most harmful medical conditions in the world. I have done a lot of research on this subject. A definition of sleep deprivation is the condition of having not enough sleep. Sleep deprivation effects everyone in different ways. For me personally, when I am sleep deprived, I am more snippy and I can fall asleep in the middle of the day easily.

One huge cause of sleep deprivation is not getting to bed at a decent time. One of my friends in college always stays up late playing video games and then finally does homework in the wee hours of the morning. I for one don't understand how they can do this and still be able to function normally. If someone were to sleep for six hours one night and eight hours for the rest of the night, that person won't accumulate sleep deprivation but if someone were to sleep for five to six hours every night for weeks for countless months, then that person would be sleep deprived. The human body requires eight hours or more to function normally. I personally am sleep deprived some days and it shows more than others. Another thing is that the body has sleep cycles that they had to go through for the body to wake up refreshed and ready for the next day. When someone doesn’t complete their proper sleep cycle, the person doesn’t get the required sleep and required brain functions that happen when someone is asleep. The REM stage of sleep is the most restful and everyone needs to pass through that stage to get a full restful night sleep.

Another cause of sleep deprivation can actually come from being glued to the computer or cell phone screens. The light from the screens keeps the brain awake and therefore someone can be in bed and resting. If if that person is on their phone then the brain sees the light and thinks that it is still day time and keeps the brain awake. Now whenever that person shuts off their phone to go to sleep, even if it has been an hour since they got into bed, the brain is just starting to go to sleep which can take a while depending on the specific person.

On the new iPhone's there is a new feature called "Night Shift." When this feature is turned on, the screen shifts the colors of the display to the warmer end of the color spectrum at a specific time that you can set. This is supposedly going to help you get a good night sleep. Night Shift does help you in a way. If someone is on their phone in their dark room, then it helps your eyes not strain too much against the lights. The best solution is to put down the electronics about 30 mins to an hour before going to bed to let your brain start to slow down from a long day and sleep.

Most people think that if you just sleep more, then the sleep deprivation will go away but it sadly doesn't work like that. It takes twice as long to cure sleep deprivation then to cause it. The way to effective stop sleep deprivation is to get on a regular sleep schedule and to stay on the schedule even on the weekends.

Sleep deprivation is a huge problem. This is a medical condition that sneaks up on you, and some people don't realize what is going on until the effects are numerous. My advice is to make sure that you get enough sleep and make sure that you get enough sleep to get through the following day.