Scales 1
Ryan Scales
Instructor: Malcolm Campbell
English (1102)
9/3/13
Don’t Skip on the Zzz’s
Introduction/Overview
After long thought, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to address my extended inquiry
project on the effects of sleep deprivation in humans. Sleep deprivation is often overlooked and
disregarded in our society; when in retrospect it is the cause of numerous health problems that
even physicians overlook. High blood pressure, obesity, and heart failure are just a mere glimpse
of the dangerous conditions that can come from being sleep deprived. According to WebMD, up
to one-third of Americans have symptoms of insomnia; however, less than 10% of those are
identified by primary-care doctors. People who are not informed or lack interest with their daily
sleeping patterns are only hurting themselves in the end. It is vital to understand the severity of
symptoms that can develop from sleeplessness; both short and long term. With my EIP, I would
learn the symptoms and diseases that arise from poor sleep behavior.
We all seem to get caught up with our busy schedules and appear to only fit time in for
sleep when we can. Due to this mindset of not putting any worth towards a good night sleep,
leads us to be less productive throughout the day. With this extended inquiry project, I would
explore the different areas of our life that are affected from sleep deprivation. I would look at all
three domains of a human’s life (emotional, mental, and physical) and see which of the areas are
most affected. Whether it is driving, eating, or simple activities of daily living, I would examine
Scales 2
all perspectives within these domains as well. I would be able to learn what exactly a lack of
sleep can truly cause to someone’s health and well-being.
I am no neurologist, psychologist, pulmonologist, or any physician for that matter so I
have plenty of knowledge to obtain with this extended inquiry project. Being a kinesiology
major, I have a strong interest in the human body and the behaviors associated with it in,
especially in altered conditions i.e sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation really came to my
attention because of the relevance of the subject to my major and how I can relate it to all
humans in our society. Many major health behaviors are associated with having a lack of sleep; I
would emphasize a majority of these behaviors in my project. I have already started some
research, finding multiple websites to start the process of my project. I started with going to
WebMD to get the basis overview of sleep deprivation and to learn any terms that maybe
foreign. Once I got a good understanding of the condition and the terms related to it, I went on
the CDC website to see what statistics have been published on sleep deprivation. A lot of the
statistics really opened my eyes to the dangers of this “disease.” An estimated 50-70 million U.S.
adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder according to the CDC website. That’s almost 25% of
the population being affected by a disorder that most of them don’t realize they have.
As I continue to research, I become more and more intrigued on my topic. I believe that
my topic of choice has many directions I can attend to all while not being too broad. I plan to
find a research librarian to find more sources on my topic, as well as conduct an interview with a
psychology professor here at UNC Charlotte. If I have enough time, I would like to perform a
small survey among my peers on their daily sleep patterns. Having this data would aid me in
emphasizing the importance of a “good night’s sleep.”
Scales 3
Physicians may argue that there are more important issues at hand regarding a person’s
health than monitoring their sleep behavior. I reason that most of these disorders people develop
are due to a lack of one’s sleep. To go in even more depth, it’s more than the quantity of sleep;
it’s the quality of it. My research would tear apart the complexity of a human’s sleep cycle.
Stressing the importance of all that is involved with a healthy night sleep should get people to
putting their head on their pillow a little earlier every night. People these days don’t understand
that a regular sleep pattern is just a vital to living a healthy lifestyle as eating the right foods.
Hopefully once people begin to see the difference in their lifestyles with an appropriate amount
of sleep every night compared to their current sleep schedule, they will see what positive,
productive behavior will come about from having a well-rested night.
One item of business that really drew me to this topic of sleep deprivation was the
relevance it has to all age, sex, nationality and ethnic groups. We are all humans and we all need
sleep at the end of the day, no pun intended. My EIP would show the significance it has to
everyone, regardless of who you are. Being a sophomore in college, I know how difficult it is to
get to bed early every night. With the EIP, I would learn how to improve the quality of my sleep
as well.
Initial Inquiry Question(s)
What health problems or issues come about from sleep deprivation? Can these health
problems be prevented or limited with an adequate amount of sleep? What exactly affects one’s
sleep cycle? Is there such thing as getting too much sleep? Do physicians generalize when
diagnosing someone with a sleep disorder? How harmful really is it to one’s health to not have a
regular sleep pattern?
Scales 4
My Interest in this Topic
As I aspire to be a physical therapist, I wanted to see what current issues are often
overlooked regarding one’s health in today’s society. Sleep deprivation really came to my
attention because of its absence of concern in the health industry. Physicians seem to oversee
their patient’s sleep behavior more often than none. When do you hear your doctor say, “How
are you sleeping every night? How many hours are you getting? Do you wake up frequently at
night?” Probably not so often; they ask about more physical, observable conditions that are
ongoing in your life. Even when people go to get their physical at the family doctors, the
physician rarely ask about their sleep behavior. My EIP would help put more emphasis on
getting those hours we so dearly need every night.
Next Steps
In the progression of my inquiry project, I will utilize every resource I can. I plan to
schedule a meeting with a research librarian to get the most out of my research. I will also try to
find what studies have been conducted or are currently ongoing in regards to human sleep
behaviors. Statistics that I come across will aid my research greatly in defending my point on the
importance of not being sleep deprived. I currently am finding multiple websites that I can’t wait
to use to my advantage in my research paper. I am ready to exploit all my resources and produce
a very well-orchestrated research paper.