Eight surprising signs you need more sleep

April 08, 2016

 Many of us need more sleep. In fact, one in three adults does not get the recommended seven hours of sleep a night. It can be easy to think you've grown accustomed to the not-enough-rest routine, but even one night' lack of sleep can throw you off. Here are eight surprising signs you need more sleep.

1. You're constantly hungry. When you're lacking sleep, two hormones in your body get out of whack. Leptin, the hormone that tells you when you're full, drops when you haven't had enough rest. The other hormone, ghrelin, increases, which tells you that you're hungry. You will most likely find yourself eating more and not feeling as full, leading to an increased intake of food.

2. You're craving junk food. We crave food that has lots of calories when we're tired because we need quick energy. Sleep-deprived brains also associate junk food with reward, which means we think we'll feel better once we have it.

3. You're having a hard time making decisions. Normally, you have no problem deciding what to wear, the best route to take to work or what to eat for lunch, but all of the sudden these choices seem way more difficult. This is because your decision-making skills are less fine-tuned when you're exhausted, leaving you feeling more overwhelmed.

4. You fall asleep the second your head hits the pillow. Most of us think that it' better to fall asleep as soon as possible. However, it usually takes 10-20 minutes to fall asleep after we go to bed, so it' a bad sign if it' happening right away.

5. You become emotional more easily. Have you ever experienced getting emotional at an odd time, such as while watching a commercial you've seen before? If a TV show is making you weepy, then it' a sign you're sleep deprived. Mood swings are also more likely , you could feel happy one second but completely shift to being angry at even the slightest trigger.

6. You're more forgetful. Sleeplessness affects our short-term memory. Research suggests that the memories formed throughout the day strengthen during slumber at night. If you're having a tough time finding your keys or if you're misplacing things all throughout the day, it may be time to get more rest.

7. You can't concentrate. Along with being more forgetful, if you're rereading emails without digesting the information, then you probably need more shut-eye. You also may find yourself to be more fidgety, especially if you increase your caffeine intake to compensate for the lack of energy.

8. You're clumsy. A lot of behind-the-scenes processes take place in your body to keep you functioning. When you don't give your body sufficient fuel, these processes get off track and you're more likely to experience your motor skills being off their A-game. This is why you may drop items or trip more often when you're tired.

We have all been there. Sometimes stress gets the best of us, and sleep becomes the first thing on the list to go by the wayside in our busy schedules. Yet, we need it to perform at our best. If you're interested in ensuring you're getting high-quality rest, consider pre-ordering the new ZEEQ Smart Pillow by REM-Fit. The newest smart sleep product to hit the market, it streams your favorite music from precision placed speakers, stops snoring and analyzes your sleep.

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