Through different signals, some more obvious than others, the body manifests each of its needs and conditions. For example. When the body requires food, it lets us know in a natural and immediate way: you start to yawn, your belly hurts and you get in a bad mood. In the same way, the body alerts us when it is exhausted and needs a few extra hours of sleep.
Learn to recognize the 7 most obvious signs that you need more sleep and get a better rest for your body.
6 signs you need more sleep
1. You rely on cliches to talk to others
Your conversations not getting out of the ordinary lately? Do you constantly use ready-made expressions? No, that does not mean that you are losing creativity. Instead of a personality adjustment, you may simply need to get some more sleep.
Some studies show that the act of staying up all night can equal the levels of disability when you are drunk. In this state, you may begin to abuse canned fillers and comments to make your brain work as little as possible.
And it’s not just about the clichés. Sleep deprived people can act drunk , slurred, and having trouble finding the right words to communicate. Not to mention the excessive dizziness that comes with overusing gray matter.
2. You are in a bad mood
If even the noise people make when swallowing liquids has bothered you lately, it may be time to put your head on the pillow for another five minutes. Robert Rosenberg, a sleep physician and author of a fantastic book on better sleep , states that sleep-deprived people tend to be more sensitive to the stimuli around them: they laugh more, cry more, get more angry, etc.
One study even shows that people who have slept insufficiently suffer to read facial expressions properly, and they begin to view non-threatening people as aggressive. As you can imagine, this sends people down a dangerous emotional spiral, thinking that the world is against them.
3. You tend to get sick frequently
Have you already run out of tissues and feel like another cold is on the way? Continuing to take medications may not be the solution. No, it is not a plot, your body does not hate you and wants to rebel against you. The answer is much simpler: your immune system is weaker and struggling to fight off the germs you come into contact with every day.
Recent studies not only show that people who sleep less than five hours are less active, but are also more likely to get a cold than those who sleep for six hours.
4. You have a lot of cravings
Find yourself digging into a pot of ice cream right after you’ve finished with a family-size pizza with extra cheese? Don’t despair, there is something you can do to deal with it: sleep.
Studies show that little sleep leads to lower levels of leptin, the hormone responsible for calming the appetite, as well as increasing levels of grhelin, the hunger hormone. Another study even found that participants who slept for four and a half hours for four consecutive nights showed increased insulin sensitivity and increased risk of diabetes, even when they did not change their diet.
5. You are not able to make decisions
Some decisions are always difficult to make, and there are always days when any decision feels like life and death.
When you’re short of sleep, there is less blood flow in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for critical thinking. This not only affects the way you plan, organize and execute functions, but it also significantly reduces your attention.
So, since you have such a hard time choosing, we will give you a hand: between watching another episode of your favorite series or sleeping an extra 40 minutes, choose the 40 minutes.
6. You lose your libido
Are the only urges born in bed to sleep? Doesn’t sexual desire exist? Some studies have found that sleep deprivation can lower testosterone levels , which is responsible for prolonging the passion for intimacy with a partner.
7. Your skin deteriorates
If you wake up in the morning with acne on your face, don’t think your high school years have come back to haunt you. It’s a perfectly normal reaction when you’re sleep deprived or over-stressed.
Poor sleep habits can make your skin less firm and dehydrated. In one terrifying word: older.
Thank cortisol for this effect. This hormone is stimulated in stressed people with little sleep, and it can break down collagen in the skin, causing it to become naturally soft.
Conclution
Sleep is very important to your body. We all love being rested and feeling alert, but there are other benefits to our bodies derived from this activity: from repairing damaged skin cells to releasing toxins that build your brain.
If you notice any of the above signs, it’s time to think about the quantity and quality of your sleep. Luckily, most of the time these problems can be fixed with a little effort to make up for those hours of rest.
You already know: put your head on the pillow and start counting sheep.
References
- Cattel, Jef. 7 Subtle and Slightly Bizarre Signs You Need More Sleep. For Greatist. [Revised December 2016].
