Lack of sleep can have a major impact on our health and everyday life. If it continues, we can develop long-term conditions that can become hard to tame. If you suspect you aren’t getting enough sleep, start looking for the signs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults should have at least 7 hours of sleep for healthy functioning of the body. Sleep deprivation is alarmingly common, and the CDC claims that 1 in every 3 adults suffers from it.
Sleep disruption once a week or month doesn’t count as sleep deprivation. However, ongoing trouble with sleeping is surely a sign of lack of sleep. Here are some signs you can look out for to know if you or a loved one is suffering from the lack of sleep:
Skin is usually the first organ to show signs of sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can affect our hormones, affect collagen growth, skin texture, and skin hydration. Sleep deprivation can also lead to inflammation, which can trigger a massive outbreak of acne, skin allergies, psoriasis, and eczema. If you have normal, clear skin and suddenly start experiencing breakouts and dryness, try improving your sleep cycle before looking into other causes.
Getting insufficient sleep night after night can affect your cognitive ability. You may find yourself struggling to recall things you should know easily or forgetting simple tasks. This could be as simple as placing your keys somewhere and not being able to recall where or placing them in the cabinet instead of the box of cereal. If you find yourself leaving home without the basic things such as your cell phone, keys, bags, etc., then just be aware that these could be signs of poor memory caused by sleep deprivation.
Sleep and appetite are closely linked. A Lack of sleep deprives you of energy. When the brain gets this signal, it tries to make up for it in the form of food. According to the Sleep Foundation, low rest can trigger the production of a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone is also called the hunger hormone and makes us crave fatty and sugary food.
Just one night of sleeplessness can increase ghrelin levels dramatically. Constant sleep struggles can affect appetite and in turn, increase weight. If you find yourself thinking of food way past midnight, you need sleep not food.
According to Harvard Health School, a good night’s sleep makes us emotionally resilient and helps us manage stress and anxiety better. A Lack of sleep has the opposite effect. We become emotionally vulnerable and everything hits hard. If you find yourself strung on high emotions all the time, you might be sleep-deprived.
As highlighted by Sleep Foundation, insufficient sleep can even lead to some serious eye problems. When we are tired and fatigued, the muscles that control our eye muscles can become strained. As a result, we end up seeing double and blurry.
There are several ways to ensure that you get enough, quality sleep on most (if not every) night. Some of the best ways to maintain your sleep cycle is to reduce your screen time, particularly before bed, and meditate before sleeping. Most importantly, you need to have the best-quality mattress; the one that will make you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. You can get that from Wolf Corp.
Sweet Dreams Since 1873
3434 S. Maplecrest Rd.
Fort Wayne, IN
