Are You Sleep Deprived and Don’t Know It? Signs to Look Out For

We live in a culture that reveres financial and career success, not to mention constant busyness and stress. As a result, it’s easy to get drawn into a vicious cycle of continually working and trying to mark things off the to-do list and not getting enough downtime to recover. 

Many of us hardly ever get the amount of sleep we truly need and thus set ourselves up for physical and mental ailments like exhaustion, burnout, depression, moodiness, skin breakouts, food cravings, anxiety, and more. If you want to live your best life, it’s essential to learn how to notice if you’re sleep-deprived and think about some ways to alter this state. 

Lack of Focus and Concentration

One of the first signs you might become aware of that you need to work on your sleep hygiene is that you struggle to focus and concentrate at work and elsewhere during the day. Your recent sleep patterns could be the cause of this. Your mind and body can’t operate optimally if you lack proper rest, which means it becomes much harder to stay alert. Your productivity will lower, and you’ll particularly struggle with tasks that need deep concentration and critical thinking. 

Lacking Sex Drive

If you’ve noticed that your sex drive is somewhat lacking lately, it could be because you’re sleep-deprived. This issue can occur for many different reasons, but inadequate shut-eye is one of the big ones. A healthy libido stems from getting enough deep sleep because it’s during this time our bodies reset and hormone production occurs. 

Falling Asleep as Soon as Your Head Hits the Pillow

We all have some nights where we’re bone tired and fall asleep practically as soon as our heads hit our pillows. However, if you find this is happening to you more and more and has become the norm, you’re likely not getting the sleep your body needs. Do you fall asleep on public transport or in cars, during meetings, watching TV, or other inappropriate or inopportune times, too? This is a sure sign your body is alerting you to a need for more proper slumber throughout the week. 

Anxiety 

Is anxiety something that’s been plaguing you of late? Again, this is a mental health challenge that can stem from numerous factors in life, but one of those is not enough sleep. After all, rest and mental health are very closely aligned, and it’s difficult to feel as happy and calm and centered as you’d like without getting decent shut-eye. Plus, sleep and mental health share a cyclical relationship, meaning that a lack of sleep can increase or cause anxiety. In contrast, anxiety can make it harder to sleep, and then the vicious circle continues. 

It’s vital to obtain enough REM sleep throughout the week to let your pain process all the emotions you feel. If you struggle to sleep deeply and REM cycles are constantly interrupted or have too few of them, various mental health factors will be negatively affected. This list includes mood, critical thinking skills, and memory, among other things. 

Skin Breakouts

Have you started getting skin breakouts lately or find your skin is drier, puffy, or red than usual? If so, this could be due in large part to sleep deprivation. No matter how many top-notch beauty products you use, your skin will suffer if you don’t get enough slumber. When we rest is when collagen production happens, and our dermis rejuvenates. If we don’t sleep well or for long enough, these processes get hampered. You’re more likely to have irritated skin and showcase dark undereye circles and puffy or red eyes, among other things. 

Some other symptoms to be on the lookout for include dehydration, general fatigue and drowsiness during the day, more moodiness than usual, weight gain, and food cravings. Plus, you may find it hard to shake off illnesses and suffer from more bodily aches and pains when sleep-deprived. 

To increase your amount and quality of sleep, consider whether your bedroom is dark enough and quiet enough to help you rest. You may need to add blackout blinds or install double glazing on windows. Getting the temperature right to sleep deeply is also necessary, so install HVAC or fans as needed. It may also be time to invest in a new, affordable mattress that’s comfortable and suits your sleeping style. 

Furthermore, switch off devices an hour or two before bed so the blue light they emit doesn’t wake you up, and write down a to-do list or journal to get any worrying thoughts out of your head. Doing some breathing and stretching at bedtime can help, too, as can avoiding overeating before bed or having caffeine too late in the day. 

Be proactive in taking care of your sleep hygiene and get the rest you need so you can avoid the symptoms listed above. You’ll soon feel much better and notice your life improving rapidly. 

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