Signs You Are Not Sleeping Well
You might think you sleep well, but how sure are you? There are several hidden signs that you might not be sleeping as well as you think, from excessive hunger to daytime sleepiness and anxiety.
This article explores the hidden signs that you are not sleeping well. Read on and see if any of them match your experiences.
Heightened anxiety
When you don’t sleep well, your body releases cortisol (stress hormone) and serotonin (mood-regulating hormone). This concoction can trigger anxious and worrying thoughts and make managing stressful situations difficult.
If you have an anxiety disorder or are prone to bouts of anxiety, a lack of sleep is likely to exasperate your problems.
Slow thought processing
Feeling slow after a night of poor sleep is perfectly normal, but it can be strange after a night of seemingly decent sleep.
The brain refreshes itself during deep and REM sleep, so if you spend the most time in NREM stage 2, you aren’t getting enough high-quality sleep.
This impacts the maintenance of neural links, and studies show that it makes at least one part of the frontal cortex smaller. The frontal cortex is responsible for language, a big reason behind speech problems and poor sleep.
Short fuse
If you have a short fuse on some days, then a night of poor sleep could be to blame. Studies show that people who are sleep deprived have increased anger and aggression, making them more susceptible to lashing out and arguing.
Arguing is a key symptom – sleep deprivation impacts your rationality, making it more likely that you’ll argue the toss (as it were).
Impulsive behaviour
Sleep loss leads to impulsive behaviour and risk-taking in the same way anxiety does. For example, you might buy something you wouldn’t usually buy with good sleep or overtake someone on a road you wouldn’t otherwise.
Science tells us that a lack of sleep makes us less rational and more impulsive, so if you have days where you jump into a decision, you could be tired. Recognising this is crucial so you make good decisions.
Headaches
Headaches are difficult to diagnose at the best of times, but poor sleep can certainly bring them on. A headache is usually a symptom of frowning, which is relatively common when trying to sleep.
Another reason behind headaches is toxin build-up in the brain - when you sleep, the space between blood cells in your brain increases, creating channels for cerebrospinal fluid to wash in and out in waves to remove toxins.
Increased hunger
A lack of sleep triggers a physiological adaptation to provide the energy needed to sustain wakefulness. With the need for more energy, your body releases Ghrelin (hunger hormone), making you crave sugars and other carbohydrates.
Feeling hungry is standard for most people at some point in the day, but feeling empty even after eating could indicate a lack of sleep. Eat fruit if you need sugar, or drink fruit juice.
Your food smells better than usual.
Did you know that a lack of sleep enhances an odor-processing brain region called the piriform cortex to encode smells strongly? This makes fast food smell better than usual and leads to the intake of high-calorie foods.
If foods smell better than usual, you might not be getting enough kip! And beware - the sensory overload is difficult to control.
Summing up
The hidden signs you are not sleeping well include:
- Heightened anxiety and susceptibility to stress
- Slow thought processing and confusion
- Anger and aggression
- Impulsive behaviour and risk-taking
- Headaches
- Insatiable hunger and cravings
- Foods smell better than usual, making you sniff them out.
Getting a handle on your sleep is crucial to your health. Don’t neglect your mattress; consider Vitamin B12 if you have insomnia.
If you enjoyed this article, read our ten tips for sleeping better, and we also have an expert guide to fixing your sleep schedule.