It turns out that sleep deprivation was totally responsible for the funk I found myself in yesterday. How do I know? Because I came home after work, lay down on the couch just to “rest for a bit,” and woke up 1.5 hours later feeling 100% better. Yikes. And the worst part of it was that I honestly didn’t even realize how tired I was – I thought it was just one of those funky days that tend to come around every now and again. Apparently not.
Routinely not getting enough sleep can have a huge impact on our lives. Although it’s different for everyone, our bodies need a certain amount of sleep every night, and while we might be able to get away with 2 or 3 late nights, eventually the lack of adequate sleep will add up and result in sleep debt, which in turn leads to a myriad of symptoms that go well beyond simple feelings of tiredness.
I spent some time browsing the net yesterday for common symptoms of sleep debt and I wanted to share what I found with you guys, as well as go into more detail about how each of them have been affecting me…
Impaired cognitive performance. Studies have shown that people who consistently get less than 7 hours of sleep a night display a decreased level of cognitive performance – bad news for this girl, who usually only gets around 5 or 6! Sleep debt is also associated with difficulties in concentration as well as a poorer memory. That’s why it’s better for students to go to sleep early instead of pulling all nighters before their exams.
- This one definitely hits me hard. On days where I don’t get enough sleep, my thoughts feel completely scattered. I have a difficult time focusing on one thing, and end up constantly jumping from one thing to the next, to the next, to the next, to the… Case in point – writing a post on those kind of days usually takes me a good 1.5 – 2 hours longer than average because not only do I have a more difficult time putting my thoughts into words, but I’ll sit there feeling like I have ADHD – I’ll constantly be jumping from blogging, to Twitter, to Pinterest, to e-mail, to texting, back to blogging… rinse, repeat. I keep jumping from one thing to another because nothing seems to be able to hold my focus or attention for very long.
Decreased ability to handle stress. When you’re tired, do you ever notice how every molehill suddenly turns into a mountain? Everyday activities like working, shopping, cooking, and cleaning can start feeling like impossible tasks instead of routine ones, and we see them as being much harder than they actually are. This is because our stress perception threshold is lowered. Sleep debt can also cause our bodies to produce more cortisol, which is the hormone associated with stress [source].
- Oy. I have a hard enough time dealing with stress as it is, and being tired makes it that much more difficult. Everything starts feeling like an impossible task on those days – even something as simple as taking out the garbage feels like a huge ordeal, and nevermind the things that actually are a huge deal… they just make me want to curl up in a ball and cry.
Mood changes. A bad night’s sleep increases our chances to suffer from a bad mood, just as a good night’s sleep increases our chances to start the day in a good mood. Sleep deprivation is associated with higher levels of irritability, apathy, anxiety, and depression.
- I like to think that I’m a pretty decent person, but every day social interaction gets a whooooole lot harder when I’m tired. Not only do I get a lot more snappy, but I have a harder time caring about anything and my anxiety gets a lot harder to manage – not good for someone who’s naturally overly anxious.
Somatic complaints. In addition to fatigue and a general feeling of being run down, a lack of sleep can cause a host of other physical problems and annoyances such as: higher blood pressure, lower body temperature, irregular heartbeat, vision distortions, upset stomach, gastrointestinal complaints, and decreased motor functioning – research has shown that those who pull all-nighters are essentially operating on the same level as someone who’s legally intoxicated [source]. Also, sleep deprivation can lead to lowered immune function, which increases the risk of catching infections.
- The biggest thing I notice on days where I don’t get enough sleep is that my stomach acts up a lot more than usual. It seems to have a harder time dealing with foods that don’t normally bother it, and bloat and wonk become that much more commonplace. Also, I’m pretty much constantly cold and my limbs start to feel like they’re made of lead.
Increased appetite. People who don’t get enough sleep tend to feel hungrier and eat more than they calorically need, which over time can lead to weight gain. This is because sleep debt is associated with a reduction in leptin (a hormone that suppresses appetite) and an elevation in ghrelin (a hormone that stimulates appetite), which alters the ability of these hormones to accurately signal caloric need [source].
- On days where I don’t get enough sleep, I pretty much want to eat everything in sight. Okay that’s not entirely true – I want to eat everything carby and sugary in sight. On these days, I usually end up feeling hungry all day and have a much harder time keeping my hand out of cereal boxes and cookie jars.
. – . – . – .
I love my early mornings, I really do, but even I have to admit that 5 AM is probably a little too early for me. Even though I wake up naturally around that time, sometimes I find that I’m still tired but I don’t go back to sleep. Why? It’s not necessarily because I can’t, but because I almost feel like I have to get up – like there’s so much that needs doing that I have to start my day and be productive. I hate the feeling that something isn’t getting done when it should be, so I drag my butt out of bed and get things done. Sounds very productive of me. What I don’t realize is that I end up being far less productive in the long run because the lack of sleep decreases my ability to perform well in pretty much all areas of my life.
So what am I going to do about it?
Well… try and get more sleep. I don’t usually have a problem falling asleep at night or staying asleep once I do – it’s just the early wake up calls that get to me. That being said, I’m going to try and force myself to sleep in. If I wake up at 5 and still feel tired, I’m not going to grab my phone and start checking my e-mail, FB, Twitter, and IG, thereby causing my mind to shift into go-go-go mode; I’m going to roll over and do my best to drift off again. I actually managed to do that this morning, and so far I’m feeling pretty fabulous. Hope you are too!
Happy Tuesday, friends!
. – . – . – .
How much sleep do you need per night? How much do you usually get?
Is getting adequate sleep high on your healthy habit list? Or does it fall near the bottom?
What kind of symptoms do you suffer from when you don’t get enough sleep?
I could not agree more with this! Impaired cognitive function is huge, I definitely always made sure to not pull all -nighters during college….I had this rule “if it doesn’t get done by 12am, then it doesn’t get done”. Not only did it ensure I got sleep, but it really helped me learn time management! Also agree on wanting to eat everything – which just leaves me feeling even crappier the next day. My stomach also gets more temperamental when it has to run on minimum sleep, and headaches are huge! I’d have to vouch for naps though, and for going back to sleep if you don’t NEED to be up. I usually wake up areound 8 nowadays because I don’t have to be anywhere till 10 – if I go to bed at 11, that’s a good 9 hours!
By the end of my college years I was telling myself that if it doesn’t get done before 9 PM then it doesn’t get done 😛 I needed lots of time to unwind before I go to bed so I had to put the books away early if I wanted to get to sleep.
The first thing I do is grab my phone in the morning…then my mind is racing. Bad habit!
I can completely relate to the lack cognitive performance. If I haven’t got enough sleep my brain works at half capacity! I have been making an effort of late to go to bed early and I have noticed an definite improvement 🙂
I definitely get a craving for lots of sweet things if I’m deprived of sleep since my mind/body think that it needs quick bursts of energy! But if I give in to those cravings then I crash even worse, so it’s like a vicious cycle. And it’s so interesting that you’re talking about the topic of sleep because yesterday I was talking to my dear momma and she hasn’t been doing very well. She’s normally a healthy individual, but now that she has these constant worries and lack of sleep due to them, her body is going berserk on her–as are her emotions. Not sure why I shared that whole thing, but I guess I felt like I could trust that you’d “listen”! (read :P) I hope you have a great sleep cycle this week and a wonderful day, Amanda! <33
Ps: I used to get about 6-7 pre-pregnancy, and now it's anywhere from 7-10 depending on whether I have work, sleep early, etc. 😀
Awwr Ellie I’m so sorry to hear about your momma 🙁 I’ll be keeping her (and you) in my prayers!
Sleep is such an amazing thing. Seriously. Words can’t describe how much of a difference in makes in my life. I can tell immediately when I’m sleep deprived because I get grumpy and start over-reacting to everything. My stress levels go through the roof and I just don’t want to deal with anything. It’s horrible!
I’ve found that 20-30 minute power naps help me more than anything (if I sleep longer, I get groggy!) Lately I’ve been taking one almost every day and I’ve noticed a huge difference.
I’m glad you were able to get out of your funk yesterday by taking a nap! Your body (and mind) obviously needed it. (:
okay, so i should email or text you at 5am? just kidding. Sleep up! or… sleep in
That depends on whether or not you come bearing food and coffee 😛
since i started working out regularly and eating clean, my sleep has turned around 100%. i probably need about 7hrs but i usually only get 6; for some reason, my body refuses to let me sleep more than 6hrs per night and i’m good with this. when i don’t get enough sleep, i usually take quick power naps of about 10-15mins and i’m good for the day.
Sometimes a little sleep can go a long way. When I don’t get enough sleep, I find that I’m moody and emotional, like the littlest thing will set me off. Not to mention, I eat more and worse than I usually do and find it hard to concentrate at work. Sleep is good!
Wooohooo sleep, one of my favorite things! I may be joking, but I always say the thing I miss MOST about college is the taking afternoon naps! (Nevermind that my sleep pattern was irregular due to late study sessions or partying.) The whole 8-5 routine blows sometimes. 😉
I totally understand these symptoms, esp. the hunger/moodiness.
Glad you’re rested & feeling better today.
I pride myself in saying that as a student, I have NEVER pulled an all-nighter. I learned early on that I need at least 7-8 hours of sleep, so I always made sure that I got it done. When I get really, really tired, I become a crank. When I’m super sleepy, I’ll be distracted, hungry, cranky, and very unmotivated! Thankfully, that hasn’t happened lately!
well no wonder I always felt so crazed after pulling an all-nighter during exams in college! I think 6 hours is good for me. Last night I got 5 and I’m thinking that wasn’t enough. It’s crazy that we eat more when we sleep less!
Adequate sleep is VERY important to me. I worked night shift for 9 months when I first got out of nursing school and it was awful. I barely slept during the day because your roommates are loud, your neighbors are loud and your body just doesn’t sleep as well during the day as it does at night. And I had a 2 hr commute on my way to work and a 1 hr commute home. Put a 12 hr shift in between there and you are just setting yourself up for disaster. Working normal hours and normal shifts is extremely important to me because of sleep (not to mention work-life balance and time for self care). I don’t know how you do 5 hours. I honestly would love 9 hours every night, but I usually settle for 8. I felt like I was in a constant fog ALL THE TIME when I was sleep deprived. And like you said lots of stomach complaints. I always thought it was because my stomach wasn’t getting the time it needed to rest-and-digest, but who knows. Good post. I think it is so interesting how some people like to sleep less (like you, my sister and mom) and others more (like me and my dad). Random question and it might be dumb. But I know you don’t use a microwave and I was wondering how do you “defrost” things from the freezer? Do you take them out hours in advance? I keep my bread and tortillas in the freezer and I can’t imagine taking them out way earlier because I never know when Inmight eat them. Random question, but I just can’t imagine living without a microwave.
Bread actually doesn’t take long to defrost at all, but what I usually end up doing is tossing my toast, muffin, or wrap into the toaster oven and heating it up that way. It doesn’t get toasted if you only leave it in long enough to warm it up, and it’s a great alternative to heating things up in the micro.
Thank you. I will have try that. I have ever thought about “nuking” stuff in the microwave before but you have inspired me to think twice.
Yay I’m glad that your nap helped bust the funk yesterday! It’s amazing what a little bit of extra sleep can do to our mood! When I wake up feeling well-rested, I really feel like I can take over the world…or at least get things done ;). I work best with 7-8 hours of sleep but sometimes it’s tempting to go over that 8-hour mark. Also on another note, I used to find myself exhausted all the time before and while I thought it was due to lack of enough sleep, I now realise it was due to over-exercising & poor fuelling.
I am a girl that NEEDS my sleep. Ideally, I’d get 9-10 hours per night (I know…) but I am for 8-9. I put sleep as a top priority in my life. I know that if I don’t get enough that I can seriously not function. My biggest symptom of not sleeping enough is eating and eating and eating more which makes me feel ill and not get good rest the next night!
Really interesting post, and so relatable. I also find myself jumping from task to task to task and always thinking about what needs to get done next instead of what I’m doing in this current moment. It’s exhausting, and doing it all with a lack of sleep makes it even more so! I hope your experiment with getting more sleep works! I am a sleeper and easily fall right back asleep after naturally waking up haha. I think of all the things I need to do and rather than get up and do them, I procrastinate and go back to sleep for another hour.
i woke up at 4:30 AM today. i have the exact same issues as you as needing to get out of bed to be productive. and now – shit. now i can’t keep my hand out of the cereal box and have to go teach a class on a wonky brain and workout on low energy. not worth it. but, how do we get used to sleeping in? if you figure out how to turn your brain off – let me know!!!
Well, I’m still trying to figure it out, but I’ve found that forcing myself to stay in bed and ignoring the cell phone/computer works wonders. I think it’s all about building up the mentality that it’s ok (and even GOOD) to stay in bed, and not letting your thoughts start racing too early. I think it’s just one of those things that takes time… like making a new habit.
I am normally pretty good about getting in the right amount of sleep that I need each night, but some nights are better than others. I think that my body thrives on around 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and I normally get around 7 to 7.5 hours. Sleep is one thing that I definitely try to make a priority because without it I am a mess!
Ugh, sleep deprivation SUCKS! A good tip for getting to bed earlier: put away your laptop, cellphone, or anything with an LCD screen. The light suppresses melatonin, which is necessary for sleep!
That’s a really great tip! I don’t let laptops or iPads into bed with me – only books and teddies allowed 😉
I wish I got more sleep! I have to get up early for work every day (between 5:15 and 5:30) but it’s hard for me to go to bed unless I’m tired. If I go to bed before I’m tired, I just lay there feeling restless. Le sigh!
Uh, I hate those days when I am sleepy, grumpy, unable to concentrate and consistently craving sugar and caffeine to keep me awake. Hope you’ll manage to get more sleep and make a habit out of it! good luck 🙂
Sleep is high on my priority list, especially when I get up at 5:15! I get cranky when I dont get enough sleep and then I do give into the junk food. Its a vicious cycle!
I am a cranky beast when I don’t get enough sleep haha. It is bad! I need at least seven hours to function properly. I’ve been trying to go to bed earlier at night because I usually wake up early at the same time every morning.
Thank you for this post! I have honestly struggled with sleep so much lately. I go to bed but I’m def not sleeping that well and it’s taking a toll on me mentally. I need roughly 8-9 hours of sleep but that is being generous…often times it’s more along the lines of 9 or more from running.
A week ago, I started setting my alarm to wake up at 4:15 on weekdays to insure I get to the gym. Craziness, as last year I would be going to bed at 4! So now I try to get in bed at 9-ish. It takes me 20-25 minute to fall asleep so being asleep by 9:45 is what I aim for! It’s crazy! I think I might need to start getting to bed a little earlier though. I’m still working out the kinks in the system 🙂 Glad you got some much-needed rest!
Thats funny that you post this today because last night i couldn’t fall asleep for HOURS. Usually I don’t have any problems falling asleep at night but every once in a while it happens. But that just means I’ll have no problem sleeping tonight.
I definitely need sleep in order to function. One or two nights of lack of sleep is okay, but after that I’m pretty much a walking zombie who can’t do anything correctly. And I strangely don’t like to take naps. But every once in a while they are so so necessary. Glad you were able to get some rest! 🙂
I had no idea that an all-nighter puts you on the same level as being legally intoxicated. That’s intense.
Sleep is definitely a priority to me – I’m a grouch without it, and in regards to hunger, no sugary carb is safe around me when I’m in that state.
I’m glad you were able to sleep in a bit this morning! I think it’s like sleep-training, essentially. You have to train your brain to stay shut off in the morning for a little while. I had to do the same thing with my weekends – I was still getting up at 7 even though I didn’t want to, and would be tried and grouchy all day because I was staying up later. So I just started staying in bed until 8 or 830, even if I felt wide awake. After a few weekends, I was able to naturally start waking up at 8 or 830.
I’m hoping that’ll be the case for me as well. I think I’ll do okay as long as I can keep myself from grabbing my phone, but it’s just so tempting! And then I start feeling like I’m falling behind on so many things and yeah… it’s all downhill from there.
I relate to every sleep-deprivation symptom you’ve posted here. Stress, inability to concentrate, anxiety, eating too much…the irony is that I need very little sleep (4 hours is fine), but I rarely get that much in a week. And then once every few months I will totally break down and start sleeping 10-12 hours for a few days simply because I’m too exhausted to carry on. It’s mostly racing thoughts that stop me from sleeping…people have tried to blame my overtraining for it, but I’ve been this way my whole life. When I was a baby I drove my poor Mum insane because I just would not sleep, and it would go on for days on end. I would’ve understood if she had smothered me at some point!
I do think a lot of my mental health problems are exacerbated by lack of sleep – for the past two weeks I’ve become really desperate and resorted to sleeping tablets, but even though they’re pretty strong they haven’t been much good. I mean, I’ll get to sleep really quickly, but then an hour later I will wake up again and feel foggy/sick for the whole day :/ I don’t want them to become habit-forming either and you’re not supposed to take multiple doses in one night. I’m giving them another week and if they don’t start working properly I’ll have the fun time of trying to come off them…
Good for you for prioritizing sleep – I really think it’s a vastly underrated aspect of health, and you are spot on when you say that waking up early to be productive is cutting off your nose to spite your face in the long run.
xxx
Great post. Reminded me how much sleep I need still! :O
I know exactly what you mean with the sleep thing. I’m not a napper but if I get behind on sleep it’s not fun for anyone. My mood swings faster and I’m hungrier, but I never realized the piece about not being able to stay focused on one thing. That’s so interesting! I also feel like I’m able to get more done sometimes when I’m tired because I’m just trying to get through it so I can go to sleep.
I love this post, Amanda. Sleep has been something on my mind a lot lately as I find that the amount I get affects my mood and concentration in drastic ways. I was reading through this post nodding my head to every single one because I’ve definitely experienced all of them. My boyfriend makes fun of me a bit because I try to go to bed early on weekdays (10 pm). I kind of feel like an old lady and not a 20-year-old student, but it really helps me to be more productive during the day. And I am so grumpy when I don’t get enough sleep even I can’t stand to be around me! I find a lot of people my age (and I think this gets worse as you get older) don’t prioritize sleep enough, but I’d rather get my eight hours a night, thanks. Anything less than 7 and I am scary to be around, haha. I think this is where a lot of students go wrong – I know I need my sleep, especially before a test. I don’t understand how all-nighters work for anyone. D:
I get a little bit of flack for my grandma sleeping schedule too, but you’re right – I’d rather get my sleep and be happier and more productive during the day. There’s nothing worse than feeling like a zombie and just waiting for the moment when you’re going to be able to crawl into bed again.
my mood is scary when I am sleep deprived. I find myself on the verge of tears or pee in my pants laughing. never good. I am glad you got some rest lady!
Sleep is so important! I am one of those people who needs a ton of sleep. If not it totally affects me. I’m such a grandma though and have to go to bed early no matter what!
this is so so true! the bf made me stay up late sunday night and I didn’t get my mandatory 8 hours…well yesterday I was so snacky in the evening I went over my daily limit of WW points by 6 because I was so hungry, but i be i was really just tired and should have made myself take a nap…glad you were able to catch up on your sleep and feel better. I’m hitting the sack early tonight!
As far as priorities go, sleep is always at the top of my list. I’ve figured out that I pretty much need at least 8 hours a night in order to function like a normal person. I’ve gotten to the point where my body will wake up on its own bright and early, but I still use an alarm clock. I’m definitely not one to sacrifice sleep!
YAY for sleep!! Sleep is one of my favorite hobbies 🙂 I go to bed early and I put my phone away from bed and on flight mode. I only take it once I finished meditating or showering. It made a huge change on my quality of sleep especially in the mornings. It happened, that I woke up at 3am, saw that there was a message and plugged in and then were not able to fall back to slepp again. NOT good and no one needs to read a message and reply at 3am except it’s something serious. I need and get 7-8 hours of sleep and I am pretty productive throughout the day. So happy that you take this challenge I am sure you will enjoy it and your body will thank you for it!!
Okay, I know I’ve said this before but as it’s true I’ll say it again: This post came just at the right time. Seriously, ever since coming back from a relaxed weekend at my parents last week I’ve been slacking on the sleep front. Not that this was unusual for me as I tend to go to bed too late yet don’t want to sleep past a certain time – guilt alert! – so I make myself get up in anyway. This has been putting a huge toll on my ability to concentrate and work for classes more than anything, though. Which is something I need to urgently do at the moment with a huge project to work on. Basically, I’ve been having dealing with just about all of the complaints you’re mentioning but never relating them to my lack of sleep as I thought of it as a “normal” condition for me. Not so much, I guess? Thanks for the wake-up call! I’ll definitely make sleep a priority from now on – starting today :).
Good luck on trying to stay in bed longer in the mornings! Hope it’ll work for you!
Thanks girl! Good luck to you as well! I feel like so many people are focused on clean eating and exercising that they often neglect sleep without realizing that it contributes just as much to our health and well-being.
This is a huge problem and goal of mine. I haven’t gotten enough sleep (overall) for at least two years for a variety of reasons. The biggest one i know is that i have a lot of trouble turning my mind off…and once i’m up, i’m up. I’ve tried writing it all out to clear my head, which sometimes helps but not always. Something to keep working on, I know…just hope I can figure it out soon! I experience all those symptoms you described on a weekly basis and i’m done ha.
Great post!! I definitely get all of the above symptoms when I don’t get enough sleep. I need usually at least 7 hours to just function and usually around 9 to really feel refreshed. My stomach acts up as well, I guess it’s because it goes hand in hand with stress!
Oh girl, I feel you on that one BIG time!
I’m glad you talked about this, because it’s honestly a huge problem for me. I’m lucky these days if I get four hours, and I’m just exhausted, which leads me to be more stressed. And um that’s not fun. However, even though I feel this way I’m nor going to wallow in that, I’m still going to be positive about my situation.
I’ll be doing this challenge with you:)
PS expect a return e-mail today. My internet was hating me yesterday, so failed to send it! Dang, don’t you hate when you having something all written out and the internet fails you…anyways other story for another day 😉
Don’t stress too much about the e-mail, love! And try to get more sleep! I managed another hour this morning and it feels SO much better.
Hurray for naps! 🙂 I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and it’s really really really starting to take its toll. Hopefully a little yoga and kitty snuggles will help tonight.