Chapter 7. Critical Thinking Exercise: Up All Night

Randall, a 19-year-old college freshman, is having a problem with sleep. It is currently the week before Thanksgiving and all his classes have scheduled exams right before the holiday break. He has been up studying all hours of the night and sleeping periodically at random times during the day. He drinks energy drinks throughout the day and night to stay awake. During the day, he keeps his shades drawn while he sleeps. He works at night by the light of his desk lamp and computer monitor. His roommate has voiced concern over his sleeping habits, as he sees Randall toss and turn all night, frequently getting up and walking around. Randall never sleeps for more than an hour at a time before his sleep is disturbed. Even though Randall has studied for weeks for his exams, his scores do not reflect that effort. In fact, he has failed the exams in his best classes.

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