You might not feel sleep deprived, but there is a chance you are. If you have an energetic toddler or a hectic work schedule, there’s a strong possibility that your sleep schedule has been severely compromised.
There are two types of sleep deprivation. Either you under slept for one or two nights and you’re feeling drowsy and less alert, or you have frequently slept way less than you should be and have entered the clinically sleep deprived stage. There are many signs of sleep deprivation that you should be aware of.
Here are 8 signs you are sleep deprived:
You have the munchies.
Sleep is our body’s way of accomplishing many things, one of them being replenishing our energy. In order to be wakeful, alert, and energized, you need the proper amount of sleep. When your brain is not getting the energy it needs from sleep, your body will start requesting food more often. If you are finding yourself more hungry than usual, this is because your body is increasing the production of ghrelin, which is the hormone that produces hunger.
You’re feeling moody.
When your emotions are all over the place, this can be a sign of sleep deprivation. Either you’re overly happy or down in the dumps, and there is no in between. A situation that usually wouldn’t cause you to cry, does, or your anxiety is through the roof. Whatever you’re feeling, if you’re more moody than usual, you may be sleep deprived.
You get random bursts of energy.
When your body is lacking sleep, you will usually feel drowsy during the day. You tell yourself you will go to bed early tonight (finally) and then right before bed you get this random burst of energy. This is because your body is trying to restore your circadian rhythm. Which in turn, prevents you from getting more sleep.
Your memory is lacking.
This is one of the signs of lack of sleep that we often overlook. As we enter different sleep cycles, our brain replenishes and restores. One of the main jobs our brain has is to remember what we did during the day. This all goes down when we sleep. Without substantial amounts of sleep, our bodies do not enter REM sleep, which means your memory starts to fail.
Your motor skills are off.
If being a klutz isn’t normal for you, your neurological function may be compromised due to sleep deprivation. When your brain isn’t functioning properly, all body function is compromised. So, if you keep running into things try getting some more sleep.
Your immune system is down.
Not sleeping enough compromises your immune system’s ability to fight of any type of sickness. When we are sleeping, our bodies produce cytokines. Cytokines are proteins that help to prevent and protect our bodies from infections, inflammations, and sickness. If you’ve gone a substantial amount of time without the proper amount of sleep, your immune system won’t function to its full potential. Therefore, you get sick more often.
Your skin is looking lackluster.
Ugh! Pimples and spots all over? Perhaps you need a good night’s sleep. Your skin repairs damaged and compromised cells while you sleep. Without quality sleep, your hormone levels fluctuate, which can cause acne and dull looking skin.
You’re impulsive.
Impulsiveness falls under a wide umbrella of things. What we mean here is that when you haven’t slept as much as your body requires, saying no to a bowl of ice cream or maybe controlling your temper becomes a lot more difficult.
Sleep deprivation is a serious condition. If you suspect you are sleep deprived due to low quality sleep, consider purchasing a new mattress. The best sleep always starts with what you’re sleeping on. At Mattress World, we know a quality mattress when we see one. Browse our selection of mattresses today.
