Sleep Deprivation, Disorders, and Drugs

Sleep is an important part of people's lives. When people don't get enough of it, they cannot function as they normally would. Whether sleep deprivation results from a person's own behaviors or a sleep disorder, a person can sometimes find aid in drugs that help him or her to finally get some peaceful rest.

Personally, I know the problems that a person can face when they don't get enough sleep. I am currently in my second trimester of pregnancy. I have had several different problems in pregnancy that are not quite as common and others that go right along with a normal pregnancy. At night, I often have to use the restroom several times, often every two hours. I also suffer from pelvic and hip pains, with cramping in my legs and even my shoulders. This causes me to wake in pain and I often have to readjust to get comfortable. I also suffer from a form of morning sickness that borders on the extreme. Part of my medicinal regimen is to take a mild sedative at night that can be bought over-the-counter at the drugstore. But even with this, I still find myself not sleeping through the night.

As a result, I find myself extremely tired in the morning. I have a hard time getting myself around to take care of my 19 month old daughter. I am sometimes quick with my temper and cannot focus on simple tasks right away upon waking. I take a long time to get around to doing every day things, like housework and even sometimes my homework. I am slow moving and may not feel like playing with my daughter right away. I lack the energy to do many things because I cannot sleep well at night. I often wish to take naps when my daughter naps, and a lot of the time I do just that. Sometimes I wake up feeling worse than I did before. On top of all of this, I have to take medicines that also make me tired on top of being tired! My mood isn't always the brightest and I feel lazy and lethargic.

In comparison to my text, my sleep deprivation coincides with the effects of sleep deprivation described therein. Mostly, I am sleepy just like the text describes others to be. My sleep deprivation mostly impacts my energy level and that impacts the way I go about doing things or when I do them. However, there is a big difference in my sleep deprivation and others. I do manage to get a few hours of sleep; it is just not restful sleep because it is constantly being interrupted.

In addition, long-term sleep reduction has an effect on REM sleep. If the person is not allowed to have REM sleep, the following night they may have an extended period of REM sleep if allowed (Axia College Week 5 reading Chapter 12, 2009). This may be the only repercussion of REM sleep deprivation. According to the Axia College Week 5 reading Chapter 12 (2009), "Because tricyclic antidepressants selectively block REM sleep, patients who regularly take large doses (e.g., for depression) get little REM sleep for months at a time-and yet they experience no serious side effects from this REM-sleep loss" (p. 381, ¶ 2). People who are sleep deprived do tend to have a more efficient sleep (Axia College Week 5 reading Chapter 12, 2009).

Generally, most sleep disorders fall into one of two categories: hypersomnia and insomnia (Axia College Week 5 reading Chapter 12, 2009). Hypersomnia contains disorders that involve extreme sleepiness and too much sleep. Insomnia includes disorders that limit one's ability to sleep. Drugs can induce hypersomnia and insomnia. They can also be beneficial. Hypnotic drugs make a person sleepy and increase the quality of sleep. Caution must be used with hypnotic drugs because they can become addictive (Axia College Week 5 reading Chapter 12, 2009). Antihypnotic drugs can be used to treat hypersomnia, though they may end up interfering with normal sleep and are very highly addictive (Axia College Week 5 reading Chapter 12, 2009).

In conclusion, sleep disorders affect humans and their daily activities in different ways. My own personal experience with sleep deprivation may be totally different for someone who is experiencing the same thing. Only a doctor can determine whether one has a sleep disorder or not, and only the doctor can decide if a drug is needed to help one to overcome his or her disorder.

Axia College of University of Phoenix. Chapter 12. The Brain, the Body, and the Mind Course.