We all face this issue at one time or another and that’s not getting enough sleep. For me, this is something I’ve battled for years seeing night shift was my life. For some odd reason, my daytime sleeping seemed to vanish. Unfortunately, several co-workers and people I’ve met online have experienced the same thing. Many people choose to not worry about sleep and believe it doesn’t affect them. Little do they know; it messes with your body and most of the time it shows. There are several signs or ways to show that lack of sleep is doing a number on your body. Check out 6 ways lack of sleep is wearing your body down.
Your Eyes Don’t Look Healthy
Of course, we all know that those pesky bags start to appear under your eyes. Redness, puffiness and circles all signs that you’re not getting enough shut-eye. The sleep-deprived tend to get more wrinkles, lines, swelling, and droopiness, studies show. This could be that your body misses out on the hormone control and tissue repair that happens in deep sleep stages.
Weight Gain
When you get a good night’s rest, your body can properly control ghrelin and leptin — the hormones that affect how hungry you feel. Without them, you may feel the urge to eat more than you need, which can make you gain weight.
You Crave Junk Food
When you’re feeling hungry, one of the things we crave the most is junk food. After a sleepless night, you may be more likely to pick that cheeseburger and fries over a salad for lunch. A sleep-deprived brain is more likely to crave unhealthy snacks and meals. It may be that judgment and decision-making aren’t as sharp when you’re tired, which makes it easier for other desires to take over.
That Coffee Addiction Kick In
For a few weeks, my employer had me training on dayshift. Since I’m used to working at night my sleep was jacked up and I was only getting 4 to 5 hours. In the mornings, large iced coffees were my pick-me-up and I gained weight. In the short term, the pick-me-up of coffee or soda may make you more alert, but in the long term, it can lead to insomnia or anxiety.
You’re In a Bad Mood
This is probably the first thing my wife notices when I’m not sleeping right. She will ask, you haven’t been getting sleep, have you? Usually when you haven’t slept properly, she says I’m very moody. One study limited people to 4 1/2 hours of sleep a night for a week. The result: More stressed, angry, and mentally exhausted people. They felt better when they returned to their normal schedules.
Your Memory Suffers
When you’re not getting enough sleep it frustrates. There are times it gets so bad that I forget certain things. If you’re losing just 2 hours if you usually snooze 8 hours a night — can make you groggy and affect concentration and memory. This may make you less skilled at work — or worse, behind the wheel of your car. More than one-third of people admit dozing off while driving.
