I Introduction
I. Just how many people know what sleep is? How many meet the demands of sleep?
II. Well, statistics has is that, 50% of us have problems sleeping.
III. Sleep is a condition when our senses are temporarily suspended; one experiences loss of consciousness either wholly or partially and the voluntary muscles becomes inactive. Unlike a condition like coma which might be irreversible, sleep is only meant to rest the body just for sometime.
IV. What is certain is that every living being, animal and even plants need to and do sleep. Our sleep begins in the evening, when the pineal gland in the brain releases melatonin. This Chemical causes our breathing to slow. It causes our muscles to become limp. Our heart rate slows, our body temperature decreases and our brain waves start to alter. We are falling asleep.
V. I would like to briefly take you through the stages of sleep, why it is important to sleep and the dangers one is exposed to due to lack of sleep.
II Discussion
I. According to Krakow in his book Sound Sleep, Sound Mind (2007), experts have discovered that, sleep is divided into four stages. Each stage of deep sleep is deeper than the last. Each period of deep sleep is punctuated by periods of REM or rapid eye movement sleep.
A. The first stage is characterized by little sleep where one keeps on falling asleep on and off and therefore any slight interruption wakes you up. In this particular stage, both the eyes and muscles are in a slow motion.
B. In the second stage, the eyes stop moving and the concentration of brain is lowered and its performance becomes occasional.
C. In the third stage, the concentration of the brain is very low and the delta is replaced with much faster movements.
D. The very last stage is characterized by extremely high delta and an individual gets in deep sleep where not easily to wake up. In the third and fourth levels the eyes do not move and the muscles are completely dormant. These two stages are associated with nightmares in kids alongside wetting the bedding.
II. Important information on sleep according to Billiard in his book Sleep (2003) is that, while an individual is in REM stage, some of the characteristics witnessed are rapid inhaling; the limbs and eyes are partially weakened. Brain at this stage is still very active just like a person is alert. The heart beat goes up, in case of men, erection appears and the entire body is unable to control its temperature. At this stage individuals experience dreams and can easily recall them once they are woken up. Studies indicate that, a normal person undergoes three to five stages of REM every night.
III. Sleep is a natural, vital and restorative process. As we get older our sleeping patterns may change but we still need the same amount of recommended sleep. The consequences of the lack of sleep include slow thinking or reactions, difficulties listening and understanding. We make frequent errors or mistakes when we are tired and suffer from poor judgment, impatience and even depression. It is clearly visible that, when one steals from sleep thinking that he will compensate on another day, a condition referred to as sleep debt occurs and it is very dangerous.
IV. Experts suggest that, the amount of sleep we need differs as we grow. A new born baby will sleep for sixteen hours of the day. A child at five or six will start to need ten or eleven hours. The right amount for every teen and adult is eight to nine hours of sleep a night. Some people exist on cat naps. Yet we all need this vital and important rest.
III Conclusion
I. In conclusion, this short speech has shown you why it is important to have enough sleep. It is evident that, when one does not get enough sleep, it poses a big threat to our health. Although it might take time to notice, continuous loss of sleep can bring epidemics later in life, in case of young people. It is said that, if only people had taken it upon themselves to take rest as deemed by health experts almost thirty percent of road accidents would reduce. Finally, just like the way an individual cannot survive without air so is sleep.
II. Now let’s go back to the meaning and importance of speech as I mentioned earlier in my speech. Because of your knowledge of the dangers you are exposed to once you fail to meet the required demands of sleep you can avoid the by ensuring you get enough sleep.
