Senior Capstone ℅ 2019

5-24-2019

Restlessness : An Autoethnography

Fidelia Isabel Campos

Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, fcampos100744@laleadership.org
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Senior Capstone ℅ 2019

Abstract

Sleep is an action in which the human life is directly dependent. If one is negligent to one’s own

body, mental and physical illnesses can occur, such as, insomnia. Major causes of insomnia in

adolescents are from phone addiction and stress. These causes then lead to persistent fatigue. As

the cycle of insomnia continues, adolescents’ academic and social success decreases

significantly.

Keywords: ​insomnia, sleep, adolescents, stress

Acknowledgements
Thank you to Mom, Grandma, and Tia Bird. Thank you to all the teachers, administrators, and
counselors that believed me and helped me achieve my goals. Thank you MOSTe and thank you
LALA.
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Restlessness : An Autoethnography

Fidelia Isabel Campos

Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, Los Angeles, California, USA

Sleep is an action in which the human life is directly dependent. If one is negligent to one’s own

body, mental and physical illnesses can occur, such as, insomnia. Major causes of insomnia in

adolescents are from phone addiction and stress. These causes then lead to persistent fatigue.

As the cycle of insomnia continues, adolescents’ academic and social success decreases

significantly.

The Incident

Three days before I started school; I was excited yet terrified. It was difficult for me to

fall into a slumber. Ignoring the power that had taken over me, I passed it off as a symptom of

excitement. Resorting to ​Youtube ​for help, I needed the time to pass. I used ​Youtube a​ s a ​tactic

for forcing my eyes to stay open. I tried to set my phone down, but I stared into the darkness,

with a rollercoaster of thoughts swallowing me, terrified, I put my attention back to my phone

and played video games to keep my mind occupied.

***

It was the night before my senior year, and once again I stared into the darkness with a

million thoughts tracing my mind. My eyes were heavy because of the day’s exhaustion, but my

mind said otherwise. Darkness and bedroom shadows were what my eyes see. As light peers

through my large bedroom window, I have once again let this power control me. I cover the
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face of which I possess with foundation and powders to conceal my tiredness. I put on mascara

and false lashes to make myself appear like I had 8 hours of sleep. I am, however, not awake.

My body is in a state of slow motion. As I walk through the familiar hallways, I put on a smile

to universally let other people know that I am okay, even though I am not. I sense that my body

moves slower than it has ever before. I notice that my peers move at a much faster pace. Days,

weeks, months, go by and every night the same thing reoccurs. I say goodnight to my mother

and grandmother, I lay in bed, and no matter what position the power takes over. I could be

laying down on either side of my body and it doesn’t change the strength of the power. This

power keeps my eyeballs uncovered, refusing to let my mind rest. I confide in a small computer,

and hope that the blue light will relieve my exhaustion. Same routine, reliving the same

nightmare.

Through this long and what seems like an endless journey, I am unsure what this power

is. Why does my body fight against me? Why does my mind have endless thoughts? Why can I

not sleep? Why are my eyelids always peeled back? Why is it that at night my eyeballs are

glued to an IPhone screen? These questions controlled my life, and when I finally placed them

into the Google search bar, the answer was right in front of me. That is when I self-diagnosed

myself as an insomniac. Although I was aware of what was going on, and I could put a name to

what I was experiencing, it does not mean that it stops. Again, same routine, same living

nightmare. The many methods I used to try and soothe the exhaustion almost never works.

With continuous essays, books, tasks, relationships, applications, sports, clubs, family business,

and thoughts; the insomniac symptoms remained a daily disturbance. I finally decided that it

should end so I forced myself to sleep. I told my little brother to put away my phone and
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electronic devices because so they would not be accessed for an entire night. I put on an eye

mask to prevent myself from staring into nothingness. It was at that moment, when I decided

that this power would no longer have control.

Analysis

Introduction

Insomnia as defined by the National Sleep Foundation as, “​difficulty falling asleep or staying

asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so” (2019, para. 2). As an adolescent, I

self-diagnosed and identified myself as a victim of insomnia. Anyone can get insomnia, but as of

late, adolescents have been a major target. In the article “Sleep for Teenagers” by the National Sleep

Foundation found,

Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late

and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality

of their sleep. Many teens suffer from treatable sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, insomnia,

restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea. (2019, para.2)

Due to the many stresses life throws at teens and adolescents like me, there is a possibility of

experiencing insomnia symptoms.

In the article “Adolescent Insomnia Should be Taken Seriously”, Robert Meyers states,

“The symptoms of insomnia in adolescents are non-restorative sleep (leaves you feeling tired),

trouble falling asleep easily, nighttime waking, having trouble falling back to sleep, and early

morning awakenings” (2014, para. 3).​ I have experienced the symptoms stated and many more

have affected the way I perform academically and socially.

Study of Focus
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​According to Nicholls, a science writer, sleep is a “widespread phenomenon” that is

essential to human development and repair (2018, para. 3). In fact, the quality of sleep is

extremely important as well. The National Sleep Foundation (2019) has found that “​sleeping at

least 85 percent of the total time in bed, falling asleep in 30 minutes or less, waking no more

than once per night, remaining awake for no more than 20 minutes before falling back asleep”

(para. 4) indicates high quality sleep. Additionally, the quality of sleep is important because it

“may be a better indicator of overall health, mood, and life satisfaction than sleep quantity”

(National Sleep Foundation, 2019, para. 1).​ Neglecting of one’s own bodily needs can result in

consequences such as “dysfunction and sleepiness” (Rosenberg. 2014, pg. 13). Authors like:

Lela Mcknight-Eily (2019), Jason Ellis, PhD (2017), Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg (2014), and

Henry Nicholls (2018) have researched the connections associated between lack of rest and the

effects it has on the human body. The cycle of insomnia in high school students negatively

affects students’ academic and social success through stress, phone addiction, and persistent

fatigue.

Stress

Insomnia has a strong effect because of the stress caused through education and one’s

environment. In the article “Insomnia”, by the Mayo Clinic Staff, “concerns about work, school,

health, finances, or family can keep your mind active at night” (2019, para. 9). When I lay in

bed at night after a long day, stresses like assignments that I have not done, my extracurriculars

such as yearbook, sports, senior obligations and college decisions keep my mind up at night;

knowing that sleep is “ vital to [my] quality of life” (Rosenberg. 2014, pg. 8), I continue to

worry because of "low levels of a brain chemical” (sleep education archive, 2008, para.1).
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In the article “ Bad chemistry: study links primary insomnia to low levels of a brain

chemical” (2008), written by the sleep education archive, a chemical called

“​gamma-aminobutyric [(GABA)] acid. GABA is the most common inhibitory transmitter in the

brain. It is the brain’s “brake fluid.” GABA decreases or stops the transmission of nerve

impulses” (para. 2). These nerve impulses is what keeps the human mind active. Dr. John

Winkelman explains that “GABA levels are low, then your mind can’t slow down. It may race

forward at full speed even when it is time to sleep.” (2008, para. 3). In addition, the sleep

education archive states that “an overactive mind is a key feature of psychophysiological

insomnia. At bedtime you are unable to stop thinking and worrying. Your body may be ready

for sleep, but your mind remains alert. This state of ‘hyperarousal’ can make it hard for you to

fall asleep” (2008, para. 7). As the mind, the source to a human’s bodily function, continues to

remain active during the time it should take the time to heal and rest (bedtime), it contradicts its

pattern and purpose, causing insomnia.

In the book, ​The One-week Insomnia Cure​ (2017)​ b​ y Professor Jason Ellis, PhD, he has

encountered patients with environmental factors:

The most common environmental factor that I encounter in practice is people’s work

schedule, although any activity (including social activities) that results in either a

reduced opportunity to sleep beyond what you physically need, or sleeping outside your

‘normal’ bedtime (at night) could be considered an environmental factor. (p.16)

Environmental factors play a big role in getting enough sleep, and can be a cause of insomnia.

According to the World Sleep Society, “​Environmental conditions, such as temperature, noise,

light, bed comfort and electronic distractions, play a significant role in one’s ability to get
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proper sleep—and, subsequently, in overall sleep-related wellness” (2019, para. 9). In addition,

the World sleep society also states that noise is a “significant factor when it comes to

influencing sleep-wake behavior and sleep quality. Research shows that high sound levels

during sleep—whether from traffic, neighbors, or disturbances in your own home—can

decrease your sleep intensity, cause you to wake more often during the night, and can even

increase your stress hormone secretion” ( 2019, para. 11). The surroundings one places

themselves in can make or break their quality and quantity of sleep. As a teenager living next to

a freeway, it is often difficult to sleep because of the continuous noise of cars. Keeping me up at

night, this environmental factor has added to the cause and continuation of my insomnia.

As the stress levels rise in adolescents, the lack of sleep becomes more common. In the

article “​ ​Insufficient Sleep among High School Students Associated with a Variety of

Health-Risk Behaviors”,​ ​Mcknight-Eily, claims that​ “almost 70 percents of teens are not

getting the recommended hours of sleep” (2019, para.1). In addition, the “Study about sleep

among high school students” also found that “68.9 percent of responders reported inefficient

sleep on an average school night” (2019, par.3). Stress caused from education, whether that is

elementary, middle, highschool or college, can lead into irregular sleep patterns, causing

insomnia. The insomniatic behaviors resulting from stress can lead to the daytime sleepiness

and defective habits. From my experience, I have found that I sleep more on the weekends and

find myself to be well rested; however, my insomnia cause me to have the lack the motivation

needed to accomplish school work. Which in turn, causes my insomnia during the week and

diminishes my academic success.

Phone Addiction
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Insomnia can also be caused from phone addiction. The majority of cellphones have

blue light that human eyes are constantly looking at. In the book ​Sleep Soundly Every Night,

Feel Fantastic Every Day​ by Dr. Rosenberg, stated “Specific cells in the eyes that are sensitive

to blue light also regulate your sense of night and day seasons. The eyes detect and associate the

blue light with daylight” (2014, pg. 24). In addition, the National Sleep Foundation further

explains why blue light is taxing when trying to sleep

The reason that blue light is so problematic​ is that it has a short wavelength that affects

levels of melatonin more than any other wavelength does. Light from fluorescent bulbs and

LED lights can produce the same effect. Normally, the pineal gland in the brain begins to

release melatonin a couple of hours before bedtime, and melatonin reaches its peak in the

middle of the night. When people read on a blue light-emitting device (like a tablet, rather than

from a printed book) in the evening, it takes them longer to fall asleep (2019, para. 2)

Blue light, just like daylight can defer a sleeping schedule and off-track sleeping patterns.

Although the room might be dark, as I am trying to sleep, my eyes associate the blue light with

the sun, so therefore my mind thinks it is daytime. Since I associate daytime with staying

awake, it's hard for me to fall asleep.

As a social media fanatic, I am always on my phone. I have a phone addiction that

makes it hard to concentrate when I try to accomplish assignments or maintain focus. So at

night, when I try to sleep, I constantly reach for my phone and I justify it as setting up my

alarm, I feed into my phone addiction and feed into my insomnia. As “the blue light travels via

cells to the hypothalamus, [it] then shuts down the production of melatonin, one of the major

sleep-promoting hormones” (Rosenberg 2014, pg. 24). Melatonin, just like GABA promotes
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and supports the mind into shutting down and coming to a state of rest. If the “body does not

produce melatonin for sleep”

(Rosenberg 2014, pg.24), the

mind continues to remain

hyperactive, affecting the

circadian rhythm.

Within the article “What is a

Circadian Rhythm?”, the

National Sleep Foundation

defines the circadian rhythm as a “24-hour internal clock that is running in background of your

brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals” (2019, para.1). The

Circadian rhythm help regulate when to wake up and when to fall asleep. As generations

coincide with technology, it becomes normal for humans to have irregular circadian rhythms.

The National Sleep Foundation states, “​keeping your mind engaged, technology can trick your

brain into thinking that it needs to stay awake” (2019, para. 3). ​This sleep-wake cycle is

different for everybody. In my case, my circadian rhythm is programmed to stay awake night

and be sleepy during the daytime, which in turn makes my academic success that much more

improbable.

Persistent Fatigue

As phone addiction and stress continue to cause insomnia, persistent fatigue derives

from it. It is important to know that “sleep patterns affect your ability to function each day. You

may wake up tired and be less mentally alert. However, most insomniacs are not sleepy, which
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is more like feeling drowsy or tired. They are more likely to complain of fatigue, which is not

the same thing. They feel as if they have no energy and have to push themselves to get things

accomplished” (Rosenberg 2014, pg. 58). Insomniacs might get the sleep their body needs, but

their mind never rests. Therefore, insomniacs have a hard time getting quality sleep.

Consequently, less funcional during the day.

In ​Sleepyhead,​ science writer, Henry Nicholls states that,

In addition to the quantity of sleep, the quality of the sleep that we get is tremendously

important too. One hundred years ago, most people who’d given it a moment’s thought assumed

that the brain wasn’t up to much during the hours of sleep. In the 1930s, scientists discovered

that the electronic signals pulsing over the scalp go through a series of clear changes throughout

the night. The precise order and duration of these stages could leave you feeling more rested

than a long but poorly structured one (2018, pg 7).

Although one might get a long episode of sleep, if the sleep ​experience [​ emphasis added] isn’t

of the best quality, one will remain with persistent fatigue. In my situation, I do get long

periods of sleep, on the weekends for example; however, since my mind does not rest, I wake

up wanting to go back to sleep. The insomnia cycle of poor sleep due to phone addiction and

everyday life stresses, had affected the way I perform academically.

A scientific research study by James F. Pagel and Carol F. Kwiatkowski have found that

a connection of low GPAs and sleep problems. In the article “Sleep Complaints affecting school

performance at different educational levels”, the authors of this scientific study have found that

“​daytime sleepiness, as reflected by waking tired and unrefreshed in the morning, having

difficulty waking in the morning, and having trouble with sleepiness during the day, affects the
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large majority of

students included in

this study and is their

most common set of

complaints. For the

high school students

included in this study,

daytime napping,

falling asleep in class and difficulty concentrating during the day are associated with lower

GPA” ( 2010, para. 18). This is proof that sleep deficiencies, such as insomnia, affect academic

success.

Opinion

When I first experienced insomnia, I considered myself a let down to both myself and

my family. I would go to bed late, wake up late and be tardy everywhere I went. I felt lazy and

blamed it on myself. My grade point average started to decline, and I wasn’t keeping up with

assignments like I had before. I was an overall failure. It wasn’t until I decided to take the

initiative to do research and come to terms with what I was experiencing.

When I initially found out that sleep disorders are real and did occur, my entire world

flipped upside down. I was someone with a sleep disorder. I continued to educate myself to

retrieve a deeper insight into what the root causes were; such as phone addiction and stress. Not

just lack of sleep. I realized that there are issues beyond the surface that have to be dealt with.
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The research stated in this essay has really made me see the different ways to identify

my root issues and to change the way I go about my day. For example, I have found a way to

cope with stress by taking days off when needed and to plan accordingly, also to not take on too

many responsibilities, especially when it’s not needed. In addition, I have put a time limit on my

phone, in which it automatically closes all apps during the time I am supposed to be resting.

This is all made possible because of the sources I chose.

The sources, specifically the books by professors and doctors (Ellis and Rosenberg),

have helped me learn to solve my sleep problems. In my eyes, every medical issue starts with

the mind. So when I get to control the way my brain works and to tap more into the conscious

and unconscious parts of my brain, I am that much closer to being insomnia-free.

Conclusion

Throughout this autoethnographic essay, I discussed the causes and effects of insomnia.

In addition, I discussed how insomnia has affected my academic and social success as a high

school student. From my research, I have been able to identify and semi-treat my insomnia. I

have become knowledgeable of sleep as a vital function for humans and just like eating,

drinking, breathing, and pooping, it is absolutely necessary. In addition, I have become

knowledgeable of my habits and how it has had an affect on my insomniatic cycle. In regards to

the idea of insomnia, I have learned that with the advancements of technology, it has become

more common among humans, and it is slowly becoming a norm.

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References

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