EFFECT OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON A STUDENT - BLISS JANE, NAUTH NNEWI

Students generally have a lot on their plate. Resisting the urge to
stay at home and catch up on much needed sleep, they force themselves
to read all night a.k.a Till day break, Students opt for coffee to
ward off sleep when they need to stay up late.

It is not uncommon for a sleep-deprived student to get low marks in
his classes because one of the effects of sleep deprivation is a
decrease in attention and concentration which greatly affects
learning. Students are also left feeling sluggish which leads to low
performance at school. People need to get six to eight hours of sleep
in order for them to go about their tasks properly. Not getting ample
rest leads to low productivity levels; and in the case of students,
low or satisfactory marks in tests, term papers, and class
participation.

Apart from attention and learning deficit, students become more
irritable when they lack sleep. Deprivation of sleep also causes
weight gain in some people because it affects the hormones in charge
of the metabolism. During sleep, sugar and starch is burned in a
person's system to become energy. Staying up prevents this process and
rather than turning sugar and starch into energy, they are stored as
fat.

Long term effects of sleep deprivation include: heart attack, high
blood pressure, depression and other mood disorders, and muscle
wastage.
I advise students to take cat naps or power naps during their breaks
to restore energy and attentiveness. It is also beneficial to take
naps in between writing tasks like term papers, dissertation, and
written reports to avoid burnout. It is important to note, however,
that naps must not exceed 20 or 30 minutes in a day. Taking a nap for
too long may affect the natural sleeping pattern of a student.

To battle difficulty sleeping, it is advised not to drink caffeinated
drinks beyond 4pm. If a person prefers to exercise in the evening, he
or she must do so three hours before he or she retires.