What is sleep deprivation?

This is an individual concept, varying from one person to the next.  Usually sleep deprivation is when someone is not getting the right amount or quality of sleep they require to feel refreshed the next day.

Sleep deprivation is a form of stress that has become a national epidemic, which is no surprise. According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorder Research, approximately 70 million people in the United States are affected by a sleep problem. The National Institute of Health reports that 40 percent of American adults occasionally have difficulty sleeping, and more than half that number is women. A 2005 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that women are more likely to experience sleep problems than men. This makes sense, considering we are usually the child-rearing caregivers in the family. On top of that, we're hormonally programmed to have sleeping issues. During pregnancy, nearly 80 percent of women have sleep disturbances, and during menopause an equal percentage suffer from interrupted sleep (thanks primarily to hot flashes).