To Sleep or Not to Sleep?

Usually what comes to mind when one mentions health and fitness is strenuous exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. In general, sleep is commonly one of the last activities on the list. Nevertheless, sleep is thought to play an integral role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, being able to execute at peak performance, as well as maintaining a healthy homeostasis of emotions. On the contrary, head author Ninad Gujar, from the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, seems to have reason to believe differently. Researches have led him to believe that sleep deprivation can actually enhance brain reactivity thus resulting in positive emotional stimuli (Gujar 4470). However, supporting the initial ideal of the importance of adequate sleep, as well as the negative effects of sleep deprivation, is author Jolanta Orzel-Gryglewska, from the University of Gdansk in Gdansk, Poland who believes that inadequate sleep results in a deterioration of overall wellbeing.The nature of the argument between these two authors are vastly different in the sense that author Gujar believes sleep deprivation may be beneficial to some individuals, while in extreme contrast author Orzel-Gryglewska supports the idea that lack of sleep only has detrimental consequences and should be avoided, leaving us “sleepers” unsure as to whether we should sleep or not.

In Ninad Gujar’s article, “Sleep Deprivation Amplifies Reactivity of Brain Reward Networks, Biasing the Appraisal of Positive Emotional Experiences”, he recognizes the harmful effects of lack of sleep but he also believes that despite these damaging effects there is a silver lining. According to Gujar and his recent experiments, sleep deprivation actually has the potential to increase brain reactivity throughout select portions of the brain. These sections include the midbrain, striatal, limbic, and visual perceptual processing regions that respond to positive emotional stimuli and can act as an antidepressant, elevating the mood of patients with major depression (Gujar 4466). His studies, as well as experiments, have seemed to have shed some light of positivity on the curse of sleep deprivation.

On the contrary, Jolanta Orzel-Gryglewska’s article, “Consequences of Sleep Deprivation”, is very adamant about how lack of sleep results in the deterioration of various functions and one’s overall effectiveness. According to Orzel-Gryglewska and her studies, sleeplessness accounts for numerous impairments including “impaired perception, difficulties in keeping concentration, visual disturbances, slower reactions, as well as the appearance of microepisodes of sleep during wakefulness which lead to lower capabilities and efficiency of task performance and increased number of errors (Orzel-Gryglewska 95).” Orzel-Gryglewska supports her claim through evidence of extensive research which explore an assortment of bodily functions under the distress of lack of sleep. These observations include retina changes resulting in poor perception and visual disturbances, hormonal changes, as well as dermal effects.

In essence, sleep deprivation is synonymous to a two-edged sword. There seems to be some positive aspects in regards to sleeplessness as well as plenty of negative. Author Gujar has explored the possibility that sleep deprivation may actually serve as an antidepressant in patients with major depression, while adversely author Orzel-Gryglewska supports the idea that lack of sleep negatively affects the human form in numerous of ways. In truth, my personal vote of whether sleep deprivation enhances one’s mood or whether it has maladaptive effects lies with author Orzel-Gryglewska. Personal experience has taught me that lack of sleep does in fact lead to difficulty in keeping concentration as well as the insatiable urge to sleep, especially during class.