12 Signs You Are Sleep Deprived

While different lifestyles require varying amount of rest, there is a bare minimum all of us ought to meet for our physical and emotional well-being. And, FYI, the timing of your sleep is just as important as its duration! Getting 8 hours of sleep in the daytime will do quite the opposite to your body and mind as compared to 8 hours of sleep in the night. Sleep is the golden thread that ties our bodies and minds together, so they can work in tandem. If you are not getting enough sleep, your body will begin to show one or more of the following symptoms.

1. Sleep Cycle

Shutterstock

Normally, to function well our body needs between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Every now and then, our biological clock goes wonky due to a night out, pending assignments, deadlines or even Netflix binges.

While one night of owling has no serious repercussions other than experiencing fatigue the next day, doing this night after night can pose serious health risks. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, type 2 diabetes and depression (1). If your body has been giving any of the following signs, you are in dire need to fix your sleep cycle.

2. Round The Clock Hunger

When the brain is not able to replenish through rest, it turns to food. Lack of sleep can increase the production of a hormone called ghrelin. Often known as the “hunger hormone”, ghrelin drives the body towards sugar and fat cravings. It also interferes with leptin, the hormone responsible for making us feel satiated (2).

3. Weight Gain

Shutterstock

With increased cravings and midnight snacking come added pounds. In a state of exhaustion, you are less likely to be concerned about what you are putting in your mouth. You look for fatty, sugary and caffeine-rich foods to make up for your depleted energy levels. Lack of sleep also leads to a slowed metabolism rate and builds up a resistance to insulin, the hormone in charge of regulating the energy (3).

4. Impulsiveness

Sleeplessness has a direct impact on our mental health. You tend to become irritable, edgy, prone to mood-swings and unable to judge the consequences of your actions. While being spontaneous can be a good thing, exhaustion-led impulsiveness is definitely a red signal.

5. Shortened Memory

Shutterstock

Our brain needs adequate rest to organise the information we pick up in the course of a day (4). Mere collection of information is not enough. If you misplace your keys or phone often, have trouble remembering tasks or events then your brain’s retention power might have been lowered by an inadequate amount of sleep.

6. Decision-Making Woes

A sleep deprived mind suffers from a diminished cognitive function (5). If managing projects at work or home has become harder than usual, chances are you are not sleeping enough. In a 2009 study in the journal Sleep¸ two groups of sleep-deprived and well-rested people were asked to perform a set of tasks that required the ability to make decisions. The results revealed that the accuracy of the sleep-deprived people was reduced by 2.4% whereas that of the well-rested group increased by 4.3%.

7. Clumsy? Not!

Shutterstock

Tripping over and getting hurt might seem like a harmless occurrence, but if you find yourself doing it several times a day, beware, your motor skills might be off track (6). A state of fatigue leads to a lapse in the neurological function of our body. With a cluttered mind, our reflexes become delayed; it takes us longer than usual to process simple routine things.

8. Unchecked Emotions

This is a symptom that we are all too familiar with, it hits with an intensity and frequency that can be distressing. If you feel that your emotions are out of control and you are prone to anxiety, sadness or anger, chances are your tired mind is causing chemical imbalances leading to instability (7). It’s not just deadlines or that time of the month, your mind is begging for some rest!

9. Lowered Immunity

Shutterstock

Several research studies point to the fact that people sleeping less than 8 hours a day are three times more prone to developing a cold. Our immune system runs on cytokines, which are immunity-building proteins that are produced while we sleep. Lack of sleep can lower our body’s defences, making it vulnerable to infections and inflammations (8).

10. Reduced Vision

Eye muscles begin to lose their strength over time if the state of fatigue persists. It becomes a challenge to focus on objects or read. The weakened eye muscles result in double-vision which can cause severe headaches and accidents.

11. Unhealthy Skin

Shutterstock

It is called ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason. While you are in la-la-land, your skin works to repair and rebuild any cells that suffered damage during the day. Furthermore, lack of sleep increases the circulation of estrogen in our body, that may lead to acne, break-outs, lines and blemishes.

12. Sleep-Driving

Have you ever felt that you snoozed a little while driving? Does your mind often wander off, resulting in absent-minded nods? You might be experiencing a phenomenon known as microsleep (9). It’s your body’s coping mechanism! Unable to get adequate rest, it begins to force you into sleep. Drowsy driving can be fatal, hence, it is better to pull over, rest, grab some coffee or splash water on your face, before getting behind the wheel again.

As you can see, lack of sleep adversely affects our physical and mental health, hampers our reflexes and productivity, throwing our emotions and weight off-balance. Adopting simple bedtime habits and ensuring you sleep for at least 7-9 hours a day will keep you sharp, stable and energetic all day long.

Sleep well, stay healthy!

The post 12 Signs You Are Sleep Deprived appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

from STYLECRAZE http://ift.tt/2iIKUhI http://ift.tt/2zy3tNE