Based on the scenario below, what is the most likely psychological explanation for Alex's recent change in behavior? Justify your answer using details from the text.

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Sleep deprivation can produce mood-related problems, including depression-like symptoms and irritability. Irritability can appear when a person gets fewer than four hours of sleep.

Mood-Related Effects of Sleep Deprivation

The link between sleep and emotional/mood-related symptoms can be attributed to the amygdala-prefrontal cortex mechanism that governs regulation of emotions in times of sleep deprivation. More specifically, owing a sleep debt hinders the ability of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) to inhibit amygdala activity, resulting in unstable and unfiltered emotional responses (impulsiveness). A second area within the forebrain, the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), which plays a role in emotional processing, is also negatively affected by a lack of sleep that manifests itself in the form of amygdala sensitivity to stimuli (irritability).

Mechanism of Mood-Sleep Relationship

A student has been consistently sleeping for only four hours per night while studying for exams. They report several issues to a campus counselor. Which of the following reported issues is the clearest example of a mood-related consequence of their sleep pattern?

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