12 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

After the time change many people suffer from lack of sleep. Your body sends the following 12 signals when you have not spent enough time in bed.

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. Because lack of sleep does not always manifest itself in leaden tiredness, which makes thinking difficult and makes every activity a burden. These 12 signs should serve you as a warning signal:

1. You are always hungry

No matter how many times a day you have small meals, you just always feel hungry. A permanent feeling of hunger is an unmistakable sign of sleep deprivation. The reason for this is that lack of sleep has a negative effect on the hormone leptin, which controls hunger and appetite. If you do not get enough sleep, your leptin level drops and sends the signal “hungry”, even though your body actually still has enough energy available.

2. You are easily irritable

When a baby gets naggy, it’s high time for a little nap. The same principle ultimately applies to adults, apart from nagging. Lack of sleep throws the emotional centers in the brain off balance. The prefrontal cortex, where the rational processing of what is seen takes place, is practically eliminated. This means that you react irrationally, irritably and excessively to certain events.

3. You fall asleep immediately

The moment your head touches the pillow, you fall into a deep sleep? Actually a good sign, at least you can rule out that you suffer from insomnia. According to the “Institute of Neurological Sleep Disorders and Stroke“, falling asleep within five minutes is nevertheless a clear indication of sleep deprivation.

4. Your immune system is weakened

Sleep is healthy in a double sense. As a study by the “University of California” shows, even a slight lack of sleep is enough to weaken the immune system. People who sleep only six hours or less per night catch a cold four times as often as people who sleep late – regardless of their personal stress level or age. Sleep, along with the right diet and exercise, is simply a cornerstone of well-being.

5. You look tired

Bloodshot, puffy eyes and a gray complexion do not always have to indicate a wild night with too much alcohol. They can also be a clear visual sign of acute sleep deprivation. It is not for nothing that we speak of “beauty sleep”!

6. You are “off the track”

You catch yourself staring into space for minutes without thinking about anything? You drop your toast and the door is narrower than usual? Then there is most likely a lack of sleep, because it increases the “scatter factor”. The motor skills decrease in tired people and are less precise.

7. You cry for no reason

As mentioned in point two above, sleep deprivation causes you to be emotionally unbalanced. No wonder you’re over-sensitive and overflowing with emotions. So the next time you start crying for no reason – apart from PMS and the like – you might want to rethink your sleeping habits.

8. Loss of libido

If you do not want to set the mood in bed, and for a longer period of time, you should either look at your relationship or your sleeping behaviour. Or both, for that matter. Because: As a study has found out, people who sleep little often suffer from loss of libido.

9. You can’t go without caffeine

Breakfast without coffee? Unthinkable. Caffeine is your savior in times of need, and will help you get through the day. If coffee and co. fail and you are still walking through the day drowsy, you should quickly “catch up” on a few hours of sleep. By the way: Caffeine lasts for many hours and can be responsible for a restless sleep.

10. You sleep as soon as it gets dark

This does not mean the time of day when you go to bed anyway, but any time of day or night. As soon as a room darkens, for example in the cinema, theatre or on the couch at home, your eyes close and you fall into slumber mode. A clear signal that you should not ignore.

11. You become a night owl

As soon as you sleep only a few hours over a longer period of time, your body adjusts to this routine. This means that it regulates itself by giving you energy at the worst possible times, such as just before bedtime.

12. Your skin deteriorates

People who are overtired often suffer from dry and thin skin that tends to wrinkle. Pimples on the face are also noticeable, as is a pale complexion. This is because the skin does not recover overnight. During sleep, the body releases a hormone that ensures that the skin can regenerate.