Andrea Debruin
Comm 110
Professor Dr. Schut
March 24, 2009

Sleep is a Necessity

In order to function properly humans need an adequate amount of sleep each night. There are many debates over this topic, as sleep tends to be more of a gift rather than a necessity. This is especially noticeable in the western culture and society today. A healthy amount of sleep has escaped many individuals as the demand for time has evaded the personal privacy of life. Recent studies performed with the sole intention of understanding the amount of sleep needed for adult individuals each night—call for 8 hours.

Michael Bonnet and Donna Arand have conducted a number of tests concerning sleep. They found that “sleep loss exists in 1/3 or more of normal adults and that the effects are large and replicable…”(2). They also discovered that 57% of auto accidents, that cause the death of the drivers, are due to fatigue (2). The “[d]ata that [they have accumulated] from recent laboratory studies indicate that nocturnal sleep periods reduced by as little as 1.3 to 1.5 hours for one night result in reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%”…(2), with this drastic data in mind, individuals should be challenged to adopt normal sleeping patterns rather then believing one can function well being sleep deprived.

Moreover, Michael and Donna support the act of receiving each night, a healthy amount of sleep—that being 8 hours of more. Their studies show that the “underlying sleep tendency in young adults is 8.5 hours per night… [and] 6.5 hours or less can be disastrous”(2). Other scientists join in on their findings as they report their own similar findings. D. F. Dinges reports from a study on 16 healthy young adults, that when their average amount of sleep dropped from 8 hours to 5 a night, somatic and emotional problems escalated, as well as increased sleepiness (Abstract).

On the flip side, not all scientists agree that humans need to have about 8 hours of sleep each night. Jim Horne, the director of Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Center, claims that it is nonsense to believe we need 8 hours of sleep each night (Sleep). Horne believes that “its like saying everybody should have size 8 shoes, or be 5 foot 8 inches” (Sleep). In addition, Horne argues that we don’t need a set amount of sleep each day, sleep boils down to genes and whether or not we are feeling fresh and awake during the day (Sleep).

In conclusion, there is obvious contradiction on the approach regarding how much sleep is necessary for the average adult. However, the data portrayed by Michael and Donna, proven through studies and statistics seem more plausible then the data Jim Horne gives—namely a subjective opinion. Science becomes a reality when tested, when it makes sense, when all the coins drop into one bucket and a conclusion is made with absolute ease. Concerning the topic of necessary sleep required for adults each night it is empirically proven that 8 hours or more is needed for any individual to function properly at work, school, or at home. Sleep is a necessity to thrive and survive in life.