Day In The Life Series: Sleep Doctor

Everyone needs a good night’s sleep, including medical students, who are on rigorous schedule and often lack the proper amount of rest as a result. Young adults are encouraged to get about 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for best mental and physical functioning. Sleep disorders affect roughly 75% of adults, and this rate is gradually increasing year by year. There are about 70 different types of sleep disorders that have been discovered thus far, including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy and cataplexy (abrupt weakness with one’s motor muscles). But, more broadly, sleep deprivation can have some very negative effects on the body and mind. It was the reason for some of the largest accidents in human history (e.g., Three Mile Island, Chernobyl), and significantly affects concentration, problem solving and reasoning. From a health perspective, a routine lack of sleep can result in a weaker immune system, and higher risk for heart disease and failure. Take a look at some of the things that keeps people from getting a good night’s rest from ABC News - Healthy Living with Dr. Breus, the Sleep Doctor.