Week 3 Writing Assignment (Chapter 4)
For Week 3, you are required to answer the following TWO questions:
As you have read in the Consciousness chapter and my lecture notes, sleep is vital for one’s physical and mental well-being.
However as a society, we often minimize the importance of sleep and many of us suffer from sleep deprivation. It is also well-documented by sleep researchers that many of us suffer from a variety of sleep disorders.
** Your writing assignment should be approximately 1/2 – 1 page, single-spaced for EACH question. That is, each question should be AT LEAST 350 words. You will be marked down if your writing assignment is too short.
Your task for this week’s writing assignment is two-fold; you are required to:
1) Search the Internet for a FREE sleep test and take it.
a) Describe some of the test questions and response options
b) Report your sleep test results
c) Do you agree or disagree (or somewhat mixed) with the test results? Why?
d) State TWO ways that you will improve your sleep habits in order to get better quality of sleep
e) Make sure that you Cite/Reference the sleep test too!
2) Search the Internet and/or your textbook for a sleeping disorder (maybe one that you never heard of or one that you are curious about).
a) Describe the symptoms and the various treatments for this sleeping disorder
b) What did you think about these treatments? If you were diagnosed with this sleeping disorder, would you prefer some treatments over others?
c) Cite reputable references
*** You can do your own Internet search, but here are a couple of other great sleep websites to check out:
a) Clayton Sleep Institute at https://claytonsleep.com/adult-sleep-quiz-sleep-disorder/
b) National Sleep Foundation at www.sleepfoundation.org
c) Stanford University Sleep Clinic at https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/sleep-medicine-center.htmlLinks to an external site.
d) US National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html
I took the “Adult Sleep Quiz” from the Clayton Sleep Institute (https://claytonsleep.com/adult-sleep-quiz-sleep-disorder/). Some of the test questions and response options included:
“How often do you have trouble falling asleep?” with options ranging from “never” to “almost every night”
“How often do you wake up during the night?” with options ranging from “never” to “almost every night”
“How often do you have trouble staying asleep?” with options ranging from “never” to “almost every night”
“How often do you wake up feeling unrefreshed?” with options ranging from “never” to “almost every night”
“How often do you feel sleepy during the day?” with options ranging from “never” to “almost every day”
My test results indicated that I have “mild” sleep problems, and suggested that I schedule a consultation with a sleep specialist. I somewhat agree with the test results, as I do occasionally have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, but I do not feel unrefreshed or sleepy during the day very often.
Two ways that I will improve my sleep habits in order to get better quality of sleep:
I will establish a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends
I will avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime, as the blue light can suppress melatonin production.
One sleeping disorder that I researched is insomnia. Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or waking up too early. Some symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, waking up too early in the morning, feeling unrefreshed after sleeping, feeling tired or sleepy during the day, and difficulty concentrating or feeling irritable or depressed.
There are various treatments for insomnia, including:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Medications, such as sedatives and antidepressants
Lifestyle changes, such as establishing a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and nicotine, and avoiding screens for at least an hour before bedtime
I think that CBT and lifestyle changes are effective and non-invasive treatments for insomnia, as they target the underlying cause of the disorder rather than just masking the symptoms with medication. If I were diagnosed with insomnia, I would prefer to try CBT and lifestyle changes before resorting to medication.
References:
National Sleep Foundation. (2021). Insomnia. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia
US National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus. (2021). Insomnia. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/insomnia.html
Stanford University Sleep Clinic. (2021). Insomnia. Retrieved from https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/sleep-medicine-center/conditions-treatments/insomnia.html
