People sleep less
than before in many countries. Why do people sleep less? What effect does it
have on an individual and on society?
An alarming
phenomenon is being observed among humans: subjecting themselves to
sleep deprivation. Various health experts attribute this new development to intent
of people to fulfill their professional dreams and personal goals. However,
this is having severe implications on t he mental and physical health of
individuals, as well as the society.
It is undeniable that most are embroiled in a
struggle to make their both ends meet, financial constraints being a primary
cause of worry for most, or ensure a
rapid career progression. This makes them either take up multiple careers, or
work in their offices late hours. Nevertheless, with the a day having only
twenty four hours in it, most find it
suitable to sacrifice the time they would spend sleeping.
On top of that, people, in contemporary times,
seem to have developed a penchant for engaging with technology for leisure: playing
games on computers and handheld gadgets;
and interacting with others using social media has become a common practice.
This is being done to compensate for the time lost while overworking for attaining professional goals. This indulgence is inducing people to
spend an invariably long time on this activity, eventually making them stay
awake and alert longer than usual.
However, sleep deprivation is making its
impact felt on the human body by weakening immune system, and inhibiting necessary
repair and rejuvenation. Thus, making human vulnerable to disease. Not just
this, there is also a notable change in the behavior: people have become
impulsive and aggressive, which is affecting their interaction with the society
often resulting unwarranted consequences, like road rage.
In the end, even though chasing professional
goals and experiencing leisure is important for a satisfying life, depriving
oneself of this important physiological function is bound to lead to unfavorable
consequences.