The Inkwell

In the past few days I’ve had a lot of trouble coming up with anything to write about here at The Inkwell. That’s pretty unusual for me as there’s always something- a headline, a billboard, a random thought – that sparks my imagination. I just haven’t been able to come up with anything though.

I can only attribute it to lack of sleep. My three month old son, who previously was a great sleeper, has taken to waking up four or more times each night. It isn’t because he’s hungry or wet, he just wants to be held (fueling my suspicion that he’ll be teething early).

So I decided to look into some facts about sleep deprivation. Here’s what I learned.

According to the Mayo Clinic, women who sleep only 6 hours a night compared to those who sleep 7 are 42% more likely to develop high blood pressure.

In an interview with CBS News, sleep scientist David Dinges says, “A single night at four hours or five hours or even six, can in most people, begin to show affects in your attention and your memory and the speed with which you think. A second night it gets worse. A third night worse. Each day adds an additional burden or deficit to your cognitive ability.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that sleepy drivers are responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports that first year doctors in two Boston ICUs reduced their rates of serious medical errors when their work weeks was reduced to 16 consecutive hours from 30.

According to the VA Nurses Union, the brain will actually shut itself down if you don’t voluntarily shut it down by going to sleep.

It’s no wonder I can’t remember my own address!

Read more:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep-deprivation/AN01344
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/14/60minutes/main3939721.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-habits
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-10-28-04.html
http://r3-19.org/study_shows_lack_of_sleep_causes_the_brain_to_shutdown