12 signs that you are not getting enough sleep
Many people think that only a few hours of sleep are enough to be prepared for the next day. In fact, many people suffer from sleep deprivation without really knowing it. For lack of sleep is not always expressed in leaden fatigue, which makes thinking difficult and makes every activity a burden. These 12 signs should serve as a warning signal:
1. You are always hungry
No matter how many times you eat small meals a day, you just feel hungry. A permanent feeling of hunger is an unmistakable sign of sleep deprivation. The reason: lack of sleep has a negative effect on the hormone leptin, which controls hunger and appetite. If you sleep too little, your leptin level will drop and send the signal "hungry" even though your body still has enough energy left.
2. You are easily irritable
When a baby gets nagging, it's high time for a little nap. The same principle applies ultimately also for adult humans, apart from the nagging. Because lack of sleep throws the emotional centers in the brain out of balance. The prefrontal cortex, in which the rational processing of what is seen, is virtually eliminated. This means that you react irrationally, irritated and overdrawn to certain events.
3. You fall asleep immediately
As soon as your head touches the pillow, you fall into a deep sleep? Actually, a good sign, after all, you can rule out that you are suffering from falling asleep. However, falling asleep within five minutes is a clear indication of sleep deprivation, according to the Institute of Neurological Sleep Disorders and Stroke.
4. Your immune system is weakening
Sleep is healthy, in a double sense. As a study of the "University of California" shows, even a small amount of sleep deprivation is enough to weaken the immune system. If you only sleep six hours a night or less, you catch four times as much as late sleepers? regardless of personal stress level or age. In addition to proper nutrition and exercise, sleep is simply a cornerstone of well-being.
5. You look tired
Bloodshot, bloated eyes and a gray complexion do not always indicate a wild night with too much alcohol. They can also be a clear visual indication of an acute sleep deprivation. Not for nothing one speaks of "beauty sleep"!
6. You are "beside the track"
You catch yourself staring into space for minutes without thinking of anything? You drop your toast and the door is also narrower than usual? Then there is most likely a lack of sleep, because it increases the "firing factor". Motor abilities diminish in tired people and are less precise.
7. You cry without reason
As mentioned in point two, sleep deprivation causes you to be emotionally out of balance. No wonder then that you are over-sensitive and overflowing with your emotions. So next time? away from PMS and Co.? If you start crying for no reason, maybe you should think about your sleeping habits.
8. Your sex life stands still
If you do not feel like you're in bed for an extended period of time, you should either look at your relationship or your sleep behavior. Or the best of both. Because: As a study has found, people who sleep little often suffer from libido loss.
9. You can not do without caffeine
Breakfast without coffee? Unthinkable. Caffeine is your savior in distress and helps you to survive the day. If coffee and co. Fail and you are still drowsily drifting through the day, you should quickly catch up on a couple of hours of sleep. Incidentally, caffeine lasts many hours and may well be responsible for a restless sleep.
10. You sleep as soon as it gets dark
This does not mean the time of the day when you go to bed anyway, but every time of day and night. As soon as a room darkens, for example in the cinema, theater or on the couch at home, your eyes close and you fall into the sleep mode. A clear signal that you should not ignore.
11. You become a night owl
As soon as you sleep for a few hours over a longer period of time, your body will adapt to this routine. This means that he regulates himself by giving you energy at the worst possible times, such as just before going to bed.
12. Your skin is getting worse
Anyone who is overtired often suffers from dry and thin skin, which tends to wrinkle. In addition, make pimples on the face noticeable and a pale complexion. That's because the skin does not recover overnight.During sleep, the body releases a hormone that ensures that the skin can regenerate.
