Sleep Debt: The Epidemic Of Sleep Debt

Sleep debt is a major problem, not just amongst college students but all Americans. We as working individuals lead such busy lives that just don’t include time for resting. Although we may perceive sleep as a ‘necessary evil,’ it’s actually one of the most beneficial things we can provide for our bodies. More often than not, however, we fail to attain the essential hours needed to properly function. People receive an average of six hours of sleep per night- about four hours less than recommended total according to James Maas. It’s almost become a sort of de rigueur amongst adults, many of whom work multiple jobs. “‘At any given time, the American sleep debt totals nearly half a billion hours or close to two hours every night for the average American,’” (Maas 6). Sleep debt, or the paucity of sleep accumulated over time, can be linked to an increase of car crashes, the vast majority of which are caused by drivers under the age of 25.

Have you ever heard the saying ‘just sleep on it?’ This witticism actually derives its meaning from the a segment of the sleep cycle known as REM. REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, is a occurs generally every hour and a half when undisturbed, and is most similar to the awake brain activity. During REM sleep, you are most susceptible to dreams, which is -according to some- how the brain appends the information it has received. By reducing your sleep cycle and cutting REM sleep short, you are leaving out a crucial portion of your brain’s cycle, leaving it in ‘debt.’ However, to make up for this debt, the brain requires that you sleep even more to accumulate lost