Sleepless and Distressed (5)

The article titled "Lack of Sleep Linked to Distress in Young Adults" has stood out to me significantly.  The author discusses the statistics of certain young adults and their emotions/anxiety levels after they have had little sleep.  The study consisted of about 20,000 young Australian adults, and the results revealed that shorter sleep time has a linear relationship with psychological distress.  The study also showed that the amount of distress will continue to rise with every missed hour of sleep.  According to author Nancy Walsh, "Short sleep duration was associated with older age, having a job, using marijuana and alcohol, and recent self-harm (P<0.001 for each), while high psychological distress was associated with female sex, unemployment, drug and alcohol use, self-harm, and sensation seeking (P<0.001 for each)," explaining some of the serious effects of sleep deprivation in young adults.  After reading this article, I decided that this study is applicable in my life in many ways.  I haven't experienced the extremes listed, but I have noticed that when I'm sleep deprived, I feel more emotional and anxious throughout the day, starting with the minute I wake up.  The article also makes a disclaimer in regards to the population tested.  Since the sample only included Australians, the generalizations found in the study may or may not be applicable to all people groups.  However, I think this study reveals a lot about sleep deprivation and the effects it has on all young adults, regardless of culture or ethnicity.  

Walsh, Nancy.  "Lack of Sleep Linked to Distress in Young Adults."  Medpage.  Medpage, 11 June 2015.  Web.  14 September 2015.