Sleep and Breakfast

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that research shows the value of sleep and the value of a healthy breakfast. For this reason, it is assumed that going to bed early and waking up early in the morning to have breakfast will help one to be healthier. The writer maintains that these actions should be part of any health regimen and can contribute both to physical and mental health, making the individual not only physically healthier but also more mentally alert throughout the day. The writer concludes that the link between adolescent behavior and health later in life is well known now and changing patterns to get more sleep and to eat a good breakfast is thus a step toward long-term health and well-being.

Outline:
Introduction
Sleep
Breakfast

From the Paper:

"The human body reacts to a human sleep cycle. At the beginning of the cycle, a brain chemical called serotonin starts the cycle, and this leads to the production of the hormone called melatonin. Soon after melatonin is produced, deep sleep takes place for some 4-5 hours. During this time. hormone is active and helps to regenerate the body. The last 2-3 hours of sleep are much lighter, and this time involves the cycles of the sexual hormones, with cycles that are active about the time the individual is waking. To match these cycles, the individual should be sleeping for some 7-71/2 hours. If the individual gets less sleep than this, then he or she is limiting the time for recovering from the stresses of life, which can add additional stress to the body each day. Also, improper and inadequate sleep does not support the primary hormones active while asleep. Since these hormones are the chemical messengers of the body and are vital to health, improper sleep patterns stress hormones and does not contribute to health."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Americans drastically underestimate the value of sleep, book suggests (1998). APA Monitor. Retreived March 10, 2007 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/mar98/sleep.html.
• Anti-aging: The Value of Sleep (2004). RUWC. Retrieved March 11, 2007 from http://www.restoreunity.org/anti_aging.htm.
• Carskadon, M.A., Harvey, K., Duke, P. et al. (1980). Pubertal changes in daytime sleepiness. Sleep 2, 453-460.
• Carskadon, M.A., Anders, T.F., & Hole, W. (1988). Sleep disturbances in childhood and adolescence. In: H.E. Fitzgerald, B.M. Lester and M.W. Yogman (eds), Theory and Research in Behavioral Pediatrics Vol. 4, 221-247. Plenum, New York (1988).
• Carskadon, M.A. (1990). Sleep disturbances. In: S.B. Friedman, M. Fisher and S.K. Schonberg (eds), Comprehensive Adolescent Health Care, 747-754. Quality Medical Publishing, St. Louis, Missouri.

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