We all have busy periods in our life, times when we feel like we have to survive on less sleep just to get things done. Whilst cutting back on your sleep might be good for your to-do list, it is certainly not good for you. The signs of sleep deprivation can creep up on you slowly but the consequences for your health and well being can be disastrous. Read on to find out the 5 signs that you are not getting enough sleep to see the effects that burning the candles at both ends can have on your health.
Your memory fails
Sleep is essential for your memory because it is while you rest that your brain forms vital connections. Lack of sleep will not only affect short term memories as sufferers find it more difficult to concentrate day to day but it can also affect how we learn. It is while we sleep that the brain consolidates what we learn during the day, if this doesn’t happen, those memories could be lost to us.
You are always hungry
Sleep deprivation can actually lead to an imbalance of hormones that can make you feel hungry when in reality you aren’t. Those who don’t get enough rest often have reduced levels of leptin, a hormone that tells us when we are full and increased levels of ghrelin, a hormone that tells us to eat. The sleep-deprived often, therefore, eat more than they need to, which can lead to weight gain. Why not practice some self-care and see if you can get more sleep? There are some tips on our blog.
You are moody
We all know how we feel those days after restless nights, our head and eyes hurt and the smallest things can upset us. This is the extreme version but actually not getting enough sleep over time can also interfere with your mood. Not giving yourself enough rest can, over time, lead to depression and anxiety. One way to help yourself get more sleep is to invest in a good mattress. Take a look through GQ’s Best Mattress list and see if there’s one for you.
You are unproductive
Lack of sleep often creates a fog in the mind. It can rob sufferers of their concentration and make it difficult to know what to do. This all plays a part in your productivity levels. If you are distracted from a piece of work because of your dwindling concentration levels, it will simply take you longer to complete. Likewise, the fog might prevent you from making good decisions about which tasks to tackle first. Forgoing sleep could actually be counter-productive for your work levels. Check out the habits of productive people if you need some help here.
You are stressed by small things
Lack of sleep can make us irritable all round. It also seems to take away our ability to rationalise things. This can mean that small things can become a huge ordeal and take over our lives. This again is really counter-productive to workloads because it can pull us away from the tasks that actually need to get done. Why not try getting more sleep and seeing if that helps you get that to-do list down?
