The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

142 “Sleep and Its Effects on the Human Body” by Meredith Merritt Instructor’s Notes One of the most difficult aspects of expository writing is deciding what details to include and which to eliminate. Providing too much detail can bog down the flow of an essay, while too little can render the essay vague and unclear. In her essay on sleep, Meredith Merritt provides an appropriate amount of detail. What are some strategies you use for deciding what to include and what not to include in your essays? What are some ways to organize an essay around the details? Writers’ Biography Meredith Merritt is a sophomore Allied Health major from Pennsylvania. She is currently preparing to enter the field of occupational therapy in the hopes of putting to good use her love for people. She enjoys a wide range of hobbies, from reading literature to carving down mountains on her snowboard. Her heart, however, remains firmly attached to working at summer church camps. Sleep and Its Effects on the Human Body The hour hand rests on the ten, the minute hand on the twelve. Five more minutes, then the lights go out and life once more reaches a momentary pause. Diligence or not, the drooping eyes and the groggy mind indicate the growing call for sleep and mark the arrival of the end to yet another day. While this occurrence remains an integral part of daily life, what happens during this period of rest remains somewhat of a mystery to many. In Sleep: The Mysteries, the Problems, and the Solutions, Carlos Schenck, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, deepens this marvel: “Considering that people on average will spend 25 years of their lives asleep, it’s surprising how little most of us know about what goes on when the lights go off” (1). Many people may reflect upon this “wonder” in feeling a sense of laziness from spending