Final answer:
The best example of sleep debt is 'C) Staying up late to finish work and getting only 4 hours of sleep,' as it represents chronic sleep restriction leading to various health issues and decreased cognitive function, indicative of accumulated sleep debt.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sleep Debt Explained
Sleep debt occurs when an individual consistently gets less sleep than needed, leading to several negative health consequences. From the examples provided, the one that best captures the concept of sleep debt is C) Staying up late to finish work and getting only 4 hours of sleep. This scenario illustrates how an individual may accumulate a sleep debt by not getting the recommended amount of sleep, which is typically 7-9 hours for adults. The National Sleep Foundation's updated recommendations acknowledge that there may be individual variations in sleep needs, but not getting the required amount of sleep on a regular basis can lead to decreased alertness, mental efficiency, and stronger sleep drive during the daytime.
Accumulating a sleep debt can have severe physiological and psychological consequences. These include but are not limited to decreased cognitive and motor function, increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and a weaker immune system. This is akin to the impairment caused by alcohol intoxication and can make everyday activities like driving particularly dangerous.
Therefore, engaging in chronic sleep restriction, such as sacrificing sleep to meet work deadlines, directly contributes to the accumulation of sleep debt. This can result in a person falling asleep more quickly during subsequent opportunities for sleep, known as sleep rebound, which signifies an ongoing deficiency in rest.