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EthanFreeman
Ms.Caruso
UWRT1103
05April2016
Defensepaper
OneofthemostsignificantandunderaddressedissuesfacingpeopleToday,for
adolescentsandadultsalike,issleepdeprivation.Inadditiontokeepingpeoplefromfeeling
restedandfunctioningproperlythroughouttheday,sleepdeprivationcanleadtoserious
maladies.Prolongedperiodsofinsufficientsleepcanevenleadtopermanentdamage.Withthis
inmind,Ivecreatedaparodysongdesignedtobeenticingenoughtobewatched,yet
informativeenoughtomakeadifferenceinthelivesofsufferers.
Sleepdeprivationisasnowballeffect,continuingtogetworsethelongeryoustay
awake(Sleepio).Somebrainfunctions,includingmemoryandcognitivespeed,beginto
deteriorateafterjust16hours,andtheconditionisexacerbatedwitheachpassinghour(Web
Md).Inordertodeterpeoplefrompushingtheirlimitsandputtingtheirmentalhealthindanger,
myproductdisplayssomeonesayingnotoapotentiallyfunactivityinfavorofgettingsleep
instead.Inordertoconveymymessage,Ivechosenaverycatchy,wellknownsongfromHigh
SchoolMusicaltoparody.hopethattheincreaseinenjoymentforviewerswillallowformore
views,thereforehavingagreaterinfluencethananexhaustivelistofharmfulsideeffectsthat
wouldboreandwardoffpotentialviewers.
Inthisparodysong,Iincorporatetheuseofseveralkeyterms,suchasmicrosleepsand
napping,inordertoinspirecuriosityamongviewers.Ipostedthelyricsinthedescriptionsothat


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viewershaveareference,andsothattheycanknowhowtospelltermsandknowwhichtermsto
lookup,ifthevideosparkstheirinterest.Inordertomakeitbelievable,Imessedupmyhairfor
thevideo,andtriedtomakeitseemasthoughIhadbagsaroundmyeyes.Sleepdeprivationisa
topicwhichhitsclosetohomeformanycollegestudents,andIthinkthevideo,aswellasthe
lyrics,areveryrelatableandinteresting.
Theinformationinthevideoisntsuperspecific,butthiswasonpurpose,inorderto
makeitsopeoplewouldactuallywatchitandnotfinditboring.Admittedly,thesingingisnt
verygood,becauseIhadbadallergiesforanentiremonthandcouldntgetabreak,butthat
shouldnttakeawayfromthecontentsrelatabilityandhelpfulness.Infact,Ifeelasthoughmany
peoplearoundmyage,andinasimilaracademicsettingcouldsympathizewithhavingtowork
underlessthanperfectconditions.
Becausesleepissoimportant,peoplehavetotreatitassuch,andsleepsmart.WhatI
meanbythisis,howandwhenyousleepcanbeasimportantashowlongyousleep.Thereisan
enduringfallacythatnappingisbadforyou,andthatnappingwillmakeithardforyoutosleep
atnight.Nappingfor1020minutesisactuallyverygoodforyou,boostingbrainfunctionand
notcontributingtogrogginessordifficultyinfallingasleepatnight(Howtosleepbetter,2016).
Problemsoccurwhennapsgobeyond20minutes,andanindividualbeginstogointodeeper
sleep.Thiscandisruptonescircadianrhythm,andleadtofeelingsoflethargyandfogginess.By
understandingtheimportanceofsleep,andknowingwhenandhowtosleepeffectively,onecan
maximizeonesownfeelingofrestfulnessandmentalhealth.

References
"SleepDeprivationEffectsandHowMuchSleepWeNeed:Babies,Teens,
andAdults."
WebMD
.WebMD.Web.12Apr.2016.
"Sleepio."
Sleepio
.Web.12Apr.2016.


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"HowtoSleepBetter."
:TipsforGettingaGoodNight'sSleep
.Web.12Apr.
2016.
Alhola,Paula,andPiviPoloKantola."SleepDeprivation:ImpactonCognitive
Performance."
NeuropsychiatricDiseaseandTreatment
.DoveMedicalPress.Web.28Apr.
2016.