- Overheating and risky decisions can be signs that you’re not getting enough sleep
- Other signs of sleep deprivation may be craving takeout and poor memory
Quality sleep is often sacrificed in order to balance work and social life and stay healthy.
But if you don’t close your eyes, not only will you feel a little tired, but it can also cause a wide range of serious health problems.
This is because sleep is essential for the heart and blood vessels to heal, and people who are extremely sleep deprived may even risk damaging their organs.
Here, MailOnline reveals 5 signs of sleep deprivation, according to retailer Bed Kingdom.
longing for a takeaway
If you’re feeling the urge to grab takeout or eat junk food, it could be a sign that you’re not getting enough sleep.
Lack of sleep changes hormones that regulate appetite, according to scientists at the University of California.
Tiny 2014 study monitored food cravings in 23 healthy participants during nights of normal sleep and nights of complete sleep deprivation.
They found that when volunteers weren’t getting enough sleep, participants were more likely to turn to junk food. , believed to be due to cravings for high-fat snacks.
But researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said in 2019 that unhealthy food cravings in people who aren’t getting enough sleep may be due to their nose and olfactory system (smell). I found
Experts say that when you don’t get enough sleep, your nose becomes too tired to convey enough information to your brain about the smells of different foods.
This can lead to reaching for strong-smelling, dense foods, often junk foods.
poor memory
Many people become forgetful when they are tired.
This is because sleep deprivation affects the brain’s ability to learn and recall information.
According to the Sleep Foundation, during rapid eye movement sleep (REM), known for dreaming, the brain is active, building and storing memories of the previous day.
Insufficient sleep interferes with this process, impeding memory formation and information absorption.
And sleep-deprived people are even at risk of forming false memories, according to a 60-person study by Singaporean doctors published in the Journal of Sleep Research in 2016.
Not only is memory affected by unclosed eyes, sleep is also essential for enhancing motor skills and learning and absorbing body reflexes.
This is another reason why sleep deprivation is responsible for the high rate of car accidents. Experts say sleep-deprived drivers have slower reaction times.
weight gain
Lack of sleep can even interfere with weight loss attempts.
According to researchers at Harvard University, sleep duration has long been linked to the body’s production of appetite-regulating hormones.
They say that inadequate sleep is associated with high levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite and signals hunger.
Lack of sleep is also associated with lower levels of the hormone leptin, which is necessary for feeling full.
As a result, high levels of ghrelin and low leptin make you feel more hungry, slowing your body’s response to satiety and increasing your risk of overeating.
Lack of sleep also increases stress and causes elevated cortisol levels.
Cortisol is a stress hormone responsible for storing energy (sugars and fats) for later use. Higher levels of this hormone therefore mean that the body is retaining more fat.
Experts say that too little sleep also affects insulin levels, as high cortisol levels make the body less sensitive to insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that turns food into energy. Decreased sensitivity to insulin makes it harder for the body to process fat from the bloodstream.
Over time, this causes fat to accumulate in the body, leading to weight gain.
poor decision making
Studies show that sleep deprivation is linked to making risky decisions.
In 2020, Italian scientists examined the effects of complete and partial sleep deprivation on a person’s risk-taking and impulsivity.
They studied 74 people — 32 of whom had a full night’s sleep and reported that they typically slept 7 to 8 hours (they all typically slept 7 to 8 hours). (he said he was getting asleep). And stay awake all night long.
The remaining 42 people slept regularly for 5 nights according to their sleep habits, followed by 5 nights of partial sleep deprivation.
They found that those who prolonged their sleep deprivation, albeit only partially, suffered more detrimental outcomes.
About the study published in the Nature of Science and Sleep journal, the authors wrote: [who are] Habitually introspective and cautious people tend to be more impulsive and take risks when making decisions based on thoughtful reasoning.
Experts suggest that sleep deprivation makes us more risk-taking because the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls thoughts, actions, and emotions, is underpowered.
overheating
Sleep is essential for regulating body temperature, experts say.
Without sleep, you’ll struggle to maintain your normal 98.6 F (37 C) temperature.
According to Boston University scientists, this means that as people get tired, their brains can heat up.
Yawning, they say, is a telltale sign of fatigue, a way to compensate for this thermoregulatory dysregulation, and helps cool the brain.
So the next time you feel hot and irritable, it could be a sign that you need a little more sleep.
