6 Signs You May Be Sleep Deprived

Let’s be honest - we all know we should get roughly eight hours of sleep a night, but how many of us actually do? There are those nights where the latest Netflix episode is just too tempting, or you have an assignment or work project due and all of a sudden you are getting to sleep way too late and know you will need to drown in a bucket of coffee in the morning.

Whilst one late night here or there may not cause you too much grief overall, if you are having more sleepless nights than you can count, then this could be detrimental to your health. Not to mention the fact you probably resemble Oscar the Grouch! Sleep deprivation has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and obesity. Whilst these are the long term effects, sleep deprivation also has short term effects such as decreased performance, memory loss and poor quality of life.

Watch Out For These Signs of Sleep Deprivation

Here are some signs you may be sleep deprived. If any of these descibe how you feel, make sure you check out my top tips on how to sleep better.

You Are More Impulsive

When you are exhausted you may act without thinking. For example, you could make poor food choices or lash out at somebody when you really didn't mean to. It also becomes more difficult to make simple decisions.

You Are More Forgetful

Do you keep forgetting where you put things? Can’t remember simple things like what you did last week? Before you start panicking, remember that if you aren’t getting enough sleep your memory could be suffering. This may be because your concentration is not at 100% when things are going on around you. Sleep helps to keep your nervous system running optimally.

You Are More Clumsy

Tripping over once is no biggie, but if you are constantly dropping things and tripping many times in one day, it may mean you are having trouble focusing. If you are lacking sleep, your concentration and reaction time may be slower, which may can make movement more difficult.

You Are Constantly Fighting Illness

If you are always sniffling and find yourself forever battling colds, it could be due to a weak immune system, which can be a side effect of lack of sleep. During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, which help your body combat infection or inflammation. If you are not getting enough sleep the production of these proteins may decrease, leaving you more vulnerable to illnesses as well as slowing your recovery.

You Are Breaking Out

If your skin has been acting up and you have been getting breakouts it could be a side effect of lack of sleep. If you aren’t getting enough shut eye, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, which can promote breakouts and other inflammatory skin conditions.

You Find It Hard To Make Decisions

If you are finding it hard to make decisions, especially simple ones, this could also be due to lack of sleep. You may find it hard to distinguish between an important and unimportant decision and waste time trying to figure out minor details.

As you can see, girls, there are a variety of implications associated with lack of sleep. These are just a few of them! Always try your hardest to turn off your phone and TV before bed, clear your mind and aim for 7-8 hours sleep each night. Your body will thank you for it!