How to Stay Productive without Giving up Your Health?

Daria Polokainen

Abstract: I have noticed that many students have gotten a false sense of productivity from sleeping less. Although it?s commonly known that lack of sleep can have detrimental effects on our bodies, this article focuses on how the phenomenon of heightened production on little sleep can be explained. Furthermore, as the lack of sleep leads to raised stress levels, I describe the consequences of prolonged sleep deprivation or chronic stress on the human body. In a student?s life, stress is almost unavoidable and sleep deprivation is only one source of stress. Therefore, the question of how to stay productive without giving up your health becomes essential for every student. To answer this question, this article indicates the relevance of stress perception, introduces some of the stress management techniques and explains how and why they work with corresponding student life examples.

Keywords: sleep deprivation, stress management, RAS, HPA axis, Cognitive Appraisal theory