82 Chapter 4: Stress Management and Sleep consequences on one’s emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing (Walters & Byl, 2013). Some of the symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation include: • General fatigue • Emotional irritability • Cognitive impairment • Physical impairment • Psychosis (a mental disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality) How Much Sleep Is Recommended? As depicted in Figure 4.6, sleep requirements fluctuate significantly based on age (Condor, 2001). For most adults (i.e., ages 18-64), the general recommendation is about 8 hours of sleep each night. However, individual sleep needs can vary significantly (Dement & Vaughan, 1999). In addition to age, gender and genetics may affect sleep needs as well. Ironically, too much sleep can also be problematic. Research has shown increased mortality rates for those who routinely get substantially less than 7 hours of sleep per night as well as those who routinely get 9 hours or more (Ferrie et al., 2007; Gallicchio & Kalesan, 2009; Hublin et al., 2007). Figure 4.6. Amount of Sleep Required Based on Age There are several different methods to determine whether an individual is getting enough sleep and how much sleep one needs. The University Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disorders has developed a sleep deprivation quiz (Maas, 1999) to determine whether an individual receives enough sleep. To take the quiz, simply answer “yes” or “no” to the following five questions based on the sleep behavior performed over the past six months.
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