5 Signs You Might Not Be Getting Enough Sleep

Getting the daily recommended 8 hours sleep is vital in living a productive and healthy lifestyle, however leading a busy life can often mean we can’t quite keep to that, and just get what we can. Here at Sleepy People we care bout you keeping healthy and getting the sleep you need, thats why we have put together this list of 5 signs which might tell you you’re not getting as much shut eye as you should.

Feeling ill all the time

Sleep is very important in allowing your body to repair itself, so not getting the recommended 8+ hours that an adult should have means your immune systems become weaker. All of a sudden you’ll have a cold in August and will be left scratching your head as too why.

Having as little as 5 hours sleep per night means you are four times more likely to catch a cold than if you manage to have 6, so one of the best ways to protect from those annoying little illnesses is to get as plenty of sleep.

Always wanting junk food

We have all got home from work exhausted and hungry but the idea of preparing a nutritious and healthy meal is always second best to a big greasy pizza or 7 bags of crisps. Don’t judge yourself too harshly, because it turns out there is science behind why you make this decision.

A lack of sleep lowers the leptin in our bodies (which is the hormone that cuts your appetite), whilst also increasing levels of ghrelin (the hormone which makes us hungry). What this means is that we want a quick fix to kill the hunger bug despite having little or no appetite, leading you to going for the easiest thing possible.

Being terrible company

When you are tired, your brain isn’t working at full capacity and is practically running on autopilot. What this means is that you are terrible company. Your concentration in conversation is reduced and your replies become short and generalised.

Often people resort to talking in cliches and wide sweeping general phrases to bypass conversation. Hearing “it will all work out in the end” or “everything happens for a reason” are phrases we all can agree are very annoying when you are attempting to tell a particularly amusing anecdote, so get plenty of sleep to ensure you don’t annoy your friends.

Having a hard time with your skin

As mentioned previously, when you’re asleep your body starts repairing itself. If you aren’t getting enough sleep or your sleep is consistently interrupted, your body sees a sharp increase in cortisol.

This then breaks down your skin collagen, which will ultimately lead you to coming out in spots.

One consistent sign of lack of sleep is developing spots on your chin, or a darkness in your skin around your eyes.

Struggling to make decisions

Drawing on the points made about being terrible company, when you are tired, your brain just isn’t working as well as when you’ve had a solid 8 hours. Having a lack of sleep means your blood circulation isn’t what it should be, meaning parts of your brain aren’t functioning at full capacity.

The result of this is the part of your brain used for critical thinking isn’t quite working at the level it should be, so you become much more indecisive.

What these five signs show is that sleep is hugely important for your health, and therefore you can make great steps in avoiding the above by getting the adult recommended 8 hours. Sometimes a bad night sleep can come down to having a old or uncomfortable bed, so why not try refreshing your bedding, pillows, duvet, mattress or mattress protector to give yourself the best chance of a great sleep and improved health.