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Sleep and Health

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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine

Synonyms

Sleep deprivation

Definition

Sleep is defined as a reversible state of perceptual disengagement and unresponsiveness to the external environment. Sleep is a complex physiological and behavioral process that is part of every individual’s life and a critical determinant of physical and mental health.

Description

It is generally accepted that 7–8 h is the optimal amount of sleep needed per night for adequate daytime functioning and to reduce the risk of developing serious medical conditions. However, many Americans sleep less than 7 h per night and many report sleep difficulties. The percentage of men and women reporting sleeping less than 6 h per night has increased significantly over the last 20 years. Broad societal changes, including longer work hours, shift work, later night life, increased dependence on technology, and a current mindset of “if you snooze, you lose” have contributed to the increases in sleep loss among adults. Sleep loss increases the risk and incidence of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Dr. Faith S. Luyster

Authors
  1. Dr. Faith S. Luyster
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Faith S. Luyster .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

  2. Cardiovascular Safety, Quintiles, Durham, NC, USA

    J. Rick Turner

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, New York

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Luyster, F.S. (2013). Sleep and Health. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_840

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_840

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1005-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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