GUEST COLUMN: 4 Interesting Films That Help You Understand Sleep Deprivation

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4 Interesting Films That Help You Understand Sleep Deprivation

by Lewis Robinson

Even though sleep is necessary to feel healthy, there are still many who are struggling with sleep deprivation on a regular basis. From health issues to poor habits, there can be many causes for a lack of proper sleep. Not only are there many causes of sleep deprivation, but there are many who suffer from sleep deprivation, and have to deal with insomnia as a normal part of their life.

In fact, it is so common that Hollywood has taken notice and made multiple movies about sleep deprivation and insomnia. If you are interested in movies that deal with the idea of sleep deprivation and its effects, here are some films to check out.

Do Your Sleep Research

If you want to get good sleep and avoid sleep deprivation, then one of the best things that you can do for yourself is to make sure that you understand sleep in general. One way to help do this may be to start watching movies based on sleep deprivation, to get an idea of some of the ways that it can impact you and how you function. While it is important to read about it and do other kinds of research, watching movies based on sleep deprivation can be another interesting way to learn about it.

Fight Club

One popular movie that is all about sleep deprivation is Fight Club. It features a main character who claims he hasn't slept in 6 months. In the movie, he begins to lose his grip on reality and starts to feel as if everything is unreal. At one point, the main character decides to join support groups to meet people and to help manage his emotional state. However, this doesn't prevent him from losing touch with reality to the point that he ends up hallucinating, and ultimately creating an alter ego named Tyler Durden.

A Nightmare On Elm Street

A Nightmare On Elm Street is a Halloween classic that features sleep deprivation in a big way. In it, a disfigured character named Freddy Krueger targets a group of teenagers and attempts to kill them in their dreams. However, he isn't just killing them in their dreams, they end up dying in real life, too. Because of this, the teens do everything they can to stay awake and avoid being visited by Freddy Krueger.

The Machinist

If you want to see a dramatic portrayal of what sleep deprivation can do to you, then you might want to watch The Machinist. In this movie, the character Trevor Reznik is a factory worker who deals with the extreme effects of sleep deprivation. In the movie, it takes a toll not only on his mental health but also his physical health, as well. Over the course of the movie, his overall health continues to deteriorate, until he descends into a state of paranoia.

Inception

Inception is another popular movie that deals with the depiction of sleep deprivation. The movie features a main character who is a thief that enters the dreams of others through dream-sharing technology. By entering their subconscious, he has the ability to steal their secrets. During the movie, he takes on the task of planting an idea into the mind of a powerful C.E.O. Because of the stress of his job, the thief often struggles to sleep at night and needs the help of a sedative to do what he needs to.

A Few Parting Thoughts

Even though good sleep is essential for good health, there are still lots of people who don't get the sleep that they need to feel their best. The good news is, though, that sleep deprivation isn't just something that you have to deal with. By educating yourself about it and its effects, you can better help to avoid it. From reading about sleep deprivation to watching movies that feature it, there can be lots of ways to learn more and gain a better understanding of it today.