HANOI UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES DEPARTMENT



SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Teacher: Nguyen Thi Thu Ha

Student: Vuong Vu Anh Nguyen
Nguyen Thi Hai Yen
Class: 2Q -21
Course: Research Writing
Date: March 19, 2022

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 ABSTRACT

Sleep deprivation is becoming highly common among young people although its
serious consequences. This research paper, based mainly on secondary
research, highlights three aspects of sleep deprivation, namely definition and
symptoms, possible causes, and the effects that it may bring about. The findings
indicate that the popularity of sleep deprivation has increased significantly due
to numerous factors like caffeine dependency or technology, and this has a
negative impact on health and concentration. Based on these findings, this
research draws the conclusion that appropriate solutions need to be done to
address this situation.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract................................................................................................................
1. Introduction.....................................................................................................
2. Discussion of findings.....................................................................................

2.1. Sleep deprivation and its symptoms..........................................................

2.2. Causes of sleep deprivation among younger people.................................
2.3. Effects of sleep deprivation on young people...........................................
2.3.1. Physical health
2.3.2. Mental health
2.3.3. Performance
3. Conclusion.......................................................................................................
References.......................................................................................................

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1.Introduction

It is common knowledge that sleep plays an essential role in our daily life, as it
is one of the basic biological needs of humans, alongside food and drink.
However, the majority, especially adolescents, often neglect the importance of
sleep, because of the faulty belief that lack of sleep can not affect their well-
being. In an experiment, when examining questionnaires from 121 primary
health facilities, only 43% mentioned sleep problems, significantly lower when
compared to other health concerns like smoking and alcohol (100%), followed
by healthy eating and physical exercises with 93% and 86% respectively.
(Sorscher, 2008) Fortunately, researchers and scientists are now having more
opportunities to discuss and improve sleep-related issues. This report research
paper, in an effort to raise awareness of young people about sleep deprivation,
will discuss the definition and symptoms of this pandemic, besides its causes
and effects.

2. Discussion of findings

2.1 Sleep deprivation and its symptoms

Sleep deprivation is a term that refers to when an individual does not have
enough of the needed amount of sleep, and this amount varies for different age
cohorts. (Bandyopadhyay & Sigua, 2019). For example, a normal grown-up man
needs to go to bed for seven to nine hours on average, while teenagers require a
ten-hour-long sleep, and this number is even higher for younger children,
depending on their age.

Shocking statistics have been published to demonstrate the frequent appearance

of this problem, especially among young people. Hershner and Chervin (2014)
reported that most university students (70.6%) have suffered lack of sleep, and a
half of them have shown signs of daytime sleepiness, which is a direct
consequence of not getting enough sleep.
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Naitoh, Kelly, Englund (1990) listed three types of sleep deprivation. The first
one, total sleep deprivation, also known as acute sleep deprivation, refers to the
state of staying awake for a minimum of 24 hours. Partial sleep deprivation,
which is more familiar to many of us, is the state of having less sleep than the
usual amount. This type also can be divided into two smaller sections: gradual
decrease and sudden decrease in sleep time. Unlike the two types above, the last
one, selective sleep deprivation has not been recorded outside of the laboratory.
It is only a result of manipulation and experiment since scientists and
researchers can only observe the subtle changes during our sleep in this specific
environment.

Although there are many variations of sleep deprivation, the symptoms are quite
similar. According to Bandyopadhyay and Sigua (2019), daytime sleepiness,
mood changes, forgetfulness, weight gain, and having trouble in concentration
and learning are common signs of lack of sleep in general. However, we should
note in mind that an individual’s symptoms can depend on the extent of their
sleep shortage and sometimes genetic relation. (Kuna et al., 2012).

2.2. Causes of sleep deprivation among younger people

Poor sleep behavior is a principal reason for sleep deprivation among

adolescents. Healthy sleep hygiene consists of a constant sleep cycle, a noiseless
sleep environment, plus the absence of caffeine and stimulating activities before
bedtime.

However, caffeine dependency, usually in the form of energy drinks, is

increasing at an alarming rate nowadays, with 51% of college students
consuming energy drinks regularly, and more than two-thirds of them using it as
a way to cope with sleep insufficient (Malinauskas, Aeby, Overton, Carpenter-
Aeby & Barber-Heidal 2007). This drink category usually contains vitamins,

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sugars, and caffeine, which are responsible for growth in energy levels. “Pulling
an all-nighter to prepare for the next day” is one of the most common reasons to
explain this overusing situation.

Using technology gadgets before going to bed is another factor that contributes
to an insufficient sleep routine. As reported by Hershner and Chervin (2014)
“most young adults (57%) leave their phone on during sleep, with only 33%
turning it to silent or vibrate modes.” Sleep quality is affected negatively by
exposure to the light from the screen of computers, mobile phones, and other
devices, as playing video games before going to sleep is proven to delay your
bedtime by almost half an hour, 21.6 minutes. A reasonable explanation is that
technology is responsible for restraining melatonin, a hormone that coordinates
our circadian rhythm to the environment, therefore using technology devices can
postpone the sign of sleepiness.

Hershner and Chervin (2014) also point out that besides caffeine addiction and
technology, problems related to time schedules contribute to sleep deprivation as
well, such as class schedules or staying up late for socializing purposes.

2.3 Effects of sleep deprivation on young people

We are well aware that sleep plays an important role in our development. People
who are sleepless for 7 hours a day can cause to alter dramatically their body
and mind (Axelrod & Goebel & Jaskiel, 2015) therefore do not get enough sleep
can be more serious because of its wide effect.

2.3.1. Physical health

The emblematic impact of sleep deprivation is recorded in physical health.

According to research, the lack of reaction time for high school students because
of sleep deficit can link to the effect of one-tenth percent of blood alcohol level,
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which can make them more susceptible to heart disease when becoming adults
(Mc Carthy, 2018). Sergio Garbarino et al in their study (cited in
Communication Biology, 2021) also has exposed that due to the vital part of
sleep in the human's immune pathway, it is likely to damage our health and
decrease energy level if we don’t get enough daily sleep, which will cause
people to eat more and gain weight to fill that health void. For example, one
research on 30,000 children at the University of Warwick Medical School in
Coventry pointed out that the ratio of students was obese due to short-duration
sleep was 2.43% (Ann Hagell, 2013). In another research was published in 2020,
Salvo also made out that when people lack sleep, the hormone ghrelin will
increase, the leptin, in contrast, decrease, which are attributed to gaining weight
in humans.

2.3.2. Mental health

In addition, sleep deprivation can exacerbate dramatically the victim’s mental

health, which can easily be seen in humans’ moods. According to Nurul Islam
(2013), the link between sleep deficit and mood has been conceded for many
years, people who experience sleep deprivation are more likely to have a high
level of depression and anxiety than those who don’t. In another study, Salvo
(2020) also conveyed that loss of sleep can degrade testosterone in the body,
which is the main reason leading to depression in the human mood. Moreover,
in his report from the Honors Undergraduate Theses (2020), Salvo linked and
conducted many surveys to conclude that because of sleep deprivation, people
have to face many types of moods around them, from Bipolar disorder,
Schizophrenia to Post-traumatic stress disorder. As stated by Banner Health
(2019), researchers found that inadequate sleep can halt some parts of the brain
that control humans' emotions and worry. Therefore, those who sleep less than 7
to 8 hours a day or those who always have not gotten enough rest are easy to
have an anxiety disorder and then lead to serious stress, negative mental health.
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Another effect of sleep deprivation is that it can render people be more irritable
(Nurul Islam, 2013). One example of this was in the Handbook on Human
Engineering Data (second edition), published by Tufts College for the office of
Naval Research in 1952, after the survey conducts on herself with sleep loss,
Mary Smith found that she felt less happy and friendly as well as more irritable
than normal.

2.3.3. Performance

Furthermore, sleep deprivation can also have a significantly serious impact on

our performance. The close relationship between sleep and human memory has
been acknowledged in many researches, therefore getting enough rest can boost
the long-term memory in the human brain and help them be more alert at work.
In contrast, with sleep deprivation, people easily face poor performance.
Moreover, do not get enough sleep can decrease concentration among people. In
a research in 2007, Tuan Tran et al also found minimal sleep can decrease the
alertness of pilots in 12 hours after waking, this may be exacerbated if the
problem is still prolonged. In terms of study, Ellen S Bruce et.al (2017) did one
survey among teenagers and received the results that students who have a
restless night can have less attentiveness, which causes bad performance in
school, and sleep deprivation is ranked in the second-highest factor that relates
to their academic presentation. In addition, as stated in Association for young
people's Health (2013), a lower concentration is one of the main factors leading
to many accidents, especially in road traffic no matter where we go.

3. Conclusion

In the modern world, when people have to face many things, sleep also becomes
less important than before. However, we can not deny the truth that sleep
deprivation is an alarming issue in society. It is crucial for everyone regardless

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of age be fully informed about the role of sleep in human life as well as its bad
impact when people do not get enough. The solution for this does not have to be
complex, they can be simple by actions in daily life so that every people can do.
Starting with mini habits such as decreasing the amount of caffeine or going
away smartphone before going to bed is sometimes a better way to help us have
a good sleep.

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 REFERENCES

Sorscher, A. J. (2008). How is your sleep: a neglected topic for health care
screening. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 21(2),
141-148.
Bandyopadhyay, A., & Sigua, N. L. (2019). What is sleep deprivation?.
American
journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 199(6), P11-P12
Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of
sleepiness
among college students. Nature and science of sleep, 6, 73.
Naitoh, P., Kelly, T. L., & Englund, C. (1990). Health effects of sleep
deprivation.
Kuna, S. T., Maislin, G., Pack, F. M., Staley, B., Hachadoorian, R., Coccaro, E.
F., & Pack, A. (2012). Heritability of performance deficit accumulation
during acute sleep deprivation in twins. Sleep, 35(9), 1223–1233.
Malinauskas, B. M., Aeby, V. G., Overton, R. F., Carpenter-Aeby, T., & Barber-
Heidal, K. (2007). A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among
college students. Nutrition Journal, 6(1), 1-7.
Jared Axelrod, Alex Goebel, Ryan Jaskiel. (n.d). Sleep Deprivation may Cause a
Student Immense Limitation and Frustration.
Claire McCarthy, MD. (2018). Teens are getting less sleep, which raises heart
disease risk. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/teens-
are-getting-less-sleep-which-raises-heart-disease-risk-2018062614130.
Garbarino, S., Lanteri, P., Bragazzi, N. L., Magnavita, N., & Scoditti, E. (2021).
Role of sleep deprivation in immune-related disease risk and outcomes.
Communications biology, 4(1), 1-17.
Hagell, A., Coleman, J., & Brooks, F. (2013). Key data on adolescence 2013.

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 London: Association for Young People’s Health.
RAHMAN, A., ISLAM, M. N., & DEY, B. K. (2013). SLEEP DEPRIVATION,
MENTAL HEALTH AND ANXIETY OF CHITTAGONG
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. SLEEP, 8(1&2), 135-146.
Fernandez De Salvo, G. V. (2020). The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental
Health and Neurological Disorders.
BannerHealth. (2019). How sleep can affect stress. Retrieved from:
https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/how-sleep-can-
affect-stress
Naitoh, P., Kelly, T. L., & Englund, C. (1990). Health effects of sleep
deprivation.
Tran, T., Raddatz, K. R., Cady, E. T., Amstutz, B., Elgin, P. D., Vowels, C., &
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adults. Clinical medicine, 17(5), 424.

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 1. Nguyễn Ngọc Quỳnh Anh:
+ Introduction
+ Sleep deprication and its symptoms
+ Cause of sleep deprivation among younger people
2. Vương Thị Kim Anh:
+ Abstract
+ Effect of sleep deprivation on young people
+ Conclusion

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