Speech on importance of sleep

Persuasive Speech Outline

Sally Student

Course Title Section ____

October 12, 2015

Organization: Problem-Cause-Solution

Audience analysis: The audience is college age and older, from all around the country, and predominantly Christian. They tend toward conservative Christian values and beliefs and have a concern with what God requires of His people. Since all are online college students at a Christian university, their common needs will be college related and spiritually related. They will mostly likely provide a friendly reception, especially if they feel their needs can be met by listening.

Topic: The problem I aim to address is that of sleep deprivation in America and how it hinders people from fulfilling God’s purpose of leading healthy lives.

General Purpose: To persuade

Specific Purpose: The persuade my audience members that sleep deprivation is a serious problem and that they should avoid it by managing their time and becoming good stewards of the bodies God has given them.

Introduction:

I. Attention-Getter

(Alarm clock) We all know this familiar sound. How do you feel when your alarm clock goes off in the morning? Tempted to press snooze several times before finally getting up? If so, you are not alone.

II. Motive for Listening

Getting the right amount of sleep is vitally important. Without it, you are unlikely to reach your full potential and to achieve your goals with excellence.

III. Credibility Statement

As a Christian, college student, (former) working wife, and now pregnant mother, I personally understand the issue of sleep deprivation and how it can have detrimental effects on the body. I also understand how difficult it can be

to have time for everything in the day and how this takes discipline.

IV. Thesis Statement

Sleep deprivation, as a common problem in America today, can have detrimental effects on society, but God calls his people to counter this problem in our own lives by utilizing good time management and discipline.

V. Preview Statement

I will validate this statement by discussing how sleep deprivation is a common problem, how the problem exists because people fail to deem it as important, and that a solution should be based around a Godly view of our bodies that urges us to be disciplined to manage our time better.

Transition: Let’s take a closer look at this important topic.

Body:

I. Main Point 1. Sleep deprivation is a common problem with detrimental effects.

A. Adults need 7–9 hours of sleep per night but the average American adult only gets about 6.9 hours (Drake, Kryger, Phillips, 2005).

B. Sleep deprivation causes cognitive and mood problems. A test by University of Pennsylvania that showed subjects who had gone 2 weeks with less than 6 hrs of sleep per night were just as impaired as people who had gone 48 hrs consecutively without sleep. (Epstein, 2010).

C. Sleep deprivation can also cause obesity. A University of Chicago study showed how sleep deprivation changes hormone secretion so that appetites increase, feeling of being full decreases, and the body’s response to sugar is altered. (Epstein, 2010).

Transition: This brings me to my second point.

II. Main Point 2. Despite these negative effects, Americans generally do not take their need for sleep very seriously.

A. Adults report the main reason they don’t get the sleep they need is that they are too busy. They know it’s a problem but they have trouble practicing healthy sleeping habits. (Key Findings, APA).

B. Adults wouldn’t have as much trouble getting more sleep if they simply would move good sleeping habits toward the top of their individual priority lists. I know from personal experience that if I fail to make something a priority and don’t see it as important, I likely will not do it well.

Transition: This brings me to my third and final point.

III. Main Point 3. The solution to the problem of sleep deprivation is to understand that God values our health and wants us to take care of the bodies He has given us.

A. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 reads, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…you are not your own…so glorify God in your body.” (ESV) As Christians, we must make it a priority to be good stewards of the body God has entrusted us with.

B. With this as our motivation, we understand that we must be good stewards of our time during the day so that we can be good stewards of our sleeping time at night.

C. Time management is key. This involves deliberately planning out your day, limiting potential distractions, saying no to non-essential tasks, and being disciplined enough to stick to your schedule. (Mayo Clinic, 2012)

Transition: This brings me to my conclusion.

Conclusion:

I. Summary

We see that Americans have a sleep deprivation problem. If we fail to get the sleep we need, we seriously risk doing harm to our bodies. This sleep problem exists largely because we refuse to make healthy sleeping habits our norm and to recognize that God expects us to take care of our bodies. The solution to this problem is to understand that getting enough sleep is our spiritual duty and to schedule our lives to be sure we are being faithful to God by practicing good sleep habits.

II. Call to Action

Take care of your body. Get the sleep your body needs in order for you to be as effective as you can be. Use your time deliberately and wisely.

III. Refocus Audience Attention:

I encourage you to analyze your own sleep habits. Make realistic goals for your day and give yourself enough time to get the sleep you need so that you are better able to glorify God with your body.

References

Drake, C., Kryger, M., & Phillips, B. (2005). Summary of Findings - Sleep Habits.

National Sleep Foundation, 1, 7.

Epstein, L. (2010, June 18). The Surprising Toll of Sleep Deprivation - Newsweek and

The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/06/18/the-surprising-toll-of-sleep-deprivation.html

Key Findings. American Psychological Association (APA). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/key-findings.aspx

Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity. (2012, June 20).

Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/time-management/wl00048