Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

1. You’re always hungry

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If you noticed that your appetite is never satisfied even though you’re eating enough throughout the day, it could be because you’re not getting enough sleep. This is because your brain needs more energy so it will try and source this elsewhere, like food.

2. You make terrible decisions

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You might not think making bad decisions would be due to sleep deprivation, but it turns not getting enough shut-eye can impact higher-level cognitive processes including decision making. So if you’ve been putting a foot wrong with your choices recently, you might need to get more sleep.

3. You struggle to control your emotions

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Have you noticed that your emotions are up and down like a rollercoaster? One minute you’re filled with happiness and the next you’re close to tears…well, this could be a result of getting enough sleep as emotional stimuli is sending you into overdrive.

4. You wake up during the night and struggle to go back to sleep

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If you often experience broken sleep disrupted by waking up frequently and struggling to doze back off, you’re probably not getting enough sleep. Just because you went to bed at 10pm and got up at 6am doesn’t mean you got the full 8 hours, it is about the quality of your sleep.

5. Your short-term memory has got worse

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Our brain is processing and consolidating memories in our sleep, meaning if you’re not getting enough shut-eye you might find you are becoming more forgetful because it is harder to form new memories. So, make sure you are getting enough sleep to keep your short-term memory in optimum condition.

6. You’ve become more clumsy

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It’s not just your cognitive processing that is impacted by lack of sleep, your motor functioning can also take a turn for the worst if you’re not getting enough sleep. If you’ve noticed that you’ve become more clumsy during your daily activities, it may be a sign you’re overtired.

7. You’re more impulsive

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If you’ve noticed that your behaviour has become more impulsive recently, it could be a sign you’re not getting enough sleep. When people are exhausted they tend to act without thinking things through, meaning you are more likely to engage in crazy behaviour.

8. You’ve been getting unwell more frequently

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We need plenty of sleep to make sure our immune system stays strong enough to fight off infection. So if you’ve noticed that you’re more susceptible to getting ill recently, it could be a sign that you need to get more sleep to keep your body fit and healthy.

9. It takes you ages to fall asleep

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Although you might expect to fall asleep as soon as your heads hits the pillow if you’re overtired, this isn’t usually the case. You will probably find it might harder to drop off if you’re sleep deprived, which is even more frustrating when all you want to do is pass out! 

10. Your vision is blurry

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Being overtired means you may not be able to control the muscles of the eye as well as you usually do, which is why you might feel your eyelids slowly closing when you feel exhausted. If this is recurring problem you are experiencing, it may be because you need to get more sleep.

11. Your skin is suffering

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It’s true what they say…your face can truly show your age, especially if you don’t take care of your health. Lack of sleep can lead to having more fine lines and wrinkles, as well as experiencing more breakouts due to an increase in stress hormones your body is producing. 

12. You’ve gained weight

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As we mentioned earlier, lack of sleep can affect how hungry you feel which may result in the urge to eat more than you need to. If this is the case, you may find that you have gained weight which could all be linked back to not getting enough sleep at night.

13. You crave junk food

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Another sign you may not be getting enough sleep is craving junk food, because an exhausted brain and body will more likely chose the unhealthy option to curb those cravings. This may also be a contributing factor to weight gain which some people experience when they are sleep deprived.

14. You’ve become addicted to caffeine

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If you’re finding yourself needing more caffeine hits throughout the day than usual, this may be a red flag that you’re not getting enough sleep. Although caffeine provides a quick fix to making you feel more alert, it may contribute to your sleeping problem if you consume too much.

15. You are moody

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Being moody and irritable is one of the most obvious signs that you’re not getting enough sleep, as being exhausted can put a drain on both your mental and physical health. So if you feel like your mood has been off recently, it could be because you need more sleep.

16. You feel depressed

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Some research has shown that there is a link between lack of sleep and feeling depressed, so if you’ve noticed a change in your mental health recently it could be related to not getting enough shut-eye at night…the same can be said if you get too much sleep.

17. You’re struggling to focus

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Even getting a little less sleep than you usually have can make you feel groggy and impact your ability to focus throughout the day. So if you’ve noticed that you’re struggling to function in your daily activities by losing focus, this could be the reason why!

18. You can’t get up in the morning

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Nobody likes getting up in the morning, but if you find it particularly challenging to get out of bed as you feel groggy and exhausted, this could be a sign you’re not getting enough sleep. Getting up in the morning shouldn’t be an everyday challenge.

19. You have no energy

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Once again, having low energy levels is probably one of the most obvious signs you’re not getting enough sleep at night. Even simple daily tasks can feel like a mammoth challenge when you’re tired, which can only get worse if sleep deprivation continues.

20. You have sugar cravings

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In a similar way to needing more caffeine to get through the day when you’re tired, some people crave sugar to give them a boost of energy. So if you’re finding yourself reaching for a sweet treat more than usual, it could be because you’re not getting enough sleep.

21. You can’t stop yawning

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Ah yes, the classic telltale sign that someone is either bored or tired…they can’t stop yawning. If you find this is something you experience a lot throughout the day, it could be because you are exhausted and probably need to get more sleep at night.

22. You need naps throughout the day

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Having lots of naps throughout the day is fine…if you’re a newborn baby! Although a 20 minute power nap can make some people feel recharged, you shouldn’t need constant naps throughout the day which could indicate you’re not getting enough sleep at night. 

23. Your libido has been low

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Most people are unaware that a lack of sleep can lead to a low libido. This is linked to your body producing more stress hormones when you’re tired, which can interfere with sexual arousal. So if this is something you can relate to, it could be linked to how much sleep you’re getting.

24. You have brain fog

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One of the key signs you’re not getting enough sleep is brain fog. Although we all experience this feeling now and again, if you struggle with it all of the time and don’t feel refreshed after your nights sleep, it could be a sign you need more shut-eye.

25. You feel more anxious

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There are many reasons you could be feeling more anxious in your everyday life, but there is a possibility it could be down to lack of sleep. It can be more difficult to manage stress and remain level-headed if you’re exhausted, as well as making it more difficult to get a good nights sleep if you feel more anxious.

26. Your general health is getting worse

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If you have other pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or high-blood pressure that are not improving or getting worse, this could be because you’re not getting enough sleep. We need enough rest to stay as healthy as possible, as well as help our body to function.

27. You’ve become more accident prone

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Statistics have shown that you might be three times more likely to be involved in an accident if you get less than 6 hours of sleep each night…this means you could be more vulnerable if you’re overtired, so make sure you are being careful if you’re worried you’re not getting enough sleep!

28. You feel more stressed

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When we are asleep our body is producing hormones that help control important functional processes. If we don’t get enough sleep, this might impact our hormone levels and there could also be an increase in the volume of cortisol released which is a stress hormone.

29. You still don’t feel refreshed after an extra few hours of sleep

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Contrary to popular belief, trying to catch up on your lost sleep by spending longer in bed at the weekend will not make up for the fatigue effects in the week. It could also make things worse by throwing off your body clock and make it harder to sleep the following week.

30. You’ve experienced hallucinations

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Although this may only happen if you are suffering extreme lack of sleep, it is possible that you may experience hallucinations if you are exhausted. When we are tired, our mind can play tricks on us and impact our perception which is why we might experience strange sightings…

31. Your Mattress Isn't Right For You

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If you're constantly complaining about the state of your mattress and if it's not the right firmness, chances are you're not getting the best night's sleep you can on it. Having the right mattress is so important for a good, uninterrupted night's sleep - so the worse for wear your bed is, the less sleep you're probably getting.

32. You're ALWAYS Snoozing Your Alarm

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Most people snooze their alarm, let's be honest, but if you desperately press snooze at least 10 times and end up jumping late out of bed, it's just a big sign that you obviously haven't gotten enough sleep. If you wake up feeling refreshed when your alarm goes off, you're not going to feel like you have to press snooze.

33. You're Ready For Bed At 5pm

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Forget about having an afternoon or evening nap - you're full-on ready to go to bed at 5pm and have zero energy for the rest of the evening. You don't need a nap, you need a full night's sleep - and then a full night's sleep after that. You may end up just sitting there and doing absolutely nothing productive until what seems a more 'acceptable' time to call it a night.

34. You Never Want To Exercise, Ever

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Getting motivated to exercise before or after a long day of work is one of the hardest things in the world, but if it's a case of you physically not being able to - instead of mentally not - because your body feels like it's ready to collapse, it's a sign you have no energy for exercise and you can't even entertain the notion.

35. Your Sleep Schedule Is Different Every Single Day

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This is a habit that's guaranteed to end up with you feeling groggy or not getting a good night's sleep. The best way to get healthy sleep is stick to the same sleep and wake time every single day, including weekends. So if you're going to bed at 2am and waking up at 6am one day, and then going to bed 9pm the next day and waking up at midday after that, your body clock is going to be very confused.

36. You Actually Don't Know How Much Sleep You Should Be Getting

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How can you hope to get enough sleep if you don't even know how much you should be getting for your age? Have you been trying to survive off 6 hours of sleep your whole life without realising needs change when you get older? Most adults will need at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but you might even need more.

37. You Almost Fall Asleep In Every Work Meeting

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And this isn't just because of your boss's boring presentation or because you want to go home. When you're in a crowded room with more people, more body heat and more energy required from you, you might react in the opposite way by going more drowsy and finding it very difficult not to want to nap in meetings.

38. ... Or When You're Driving

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This is obviously more dangerous than taking a nap in a work meeting. Cars can easily make people drowsy when they're not getting enough sleep, especially when you warm them up with the heaters or if you're driving at night. If you were actually getting enough sleep, you should still feel alert even if you're driving at night in a warm car.

39. A Warm Room Is Your Undoing

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The moment someone puts the heating on or gives you a cozy throw, that's it. There's no way you can keep your eyes open. Feeling warm and cozy can easily make you feel drowsy, but if you're ready for a 10 hour nap the second a room feels a little warm, it could be your body desperately crying out for the sleep it needs!

40. You Fall Asleep The Second You Get Into Bed

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For most people who don't have to worry about overthinking and anxiety, this is an absolute flex, but if you're dropping off the second your head hits the pillow, it could be a sign that you're not getting enough sleep and you find it easy to fall asleep because your body and mind are so, so tired. It doesn't take much for you to drop off.

41. You Fall Asleep On The Couch

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We wouldn't blame you if you get tired when you're relaxing on the couch, comfortable with blankets and cushions. But if there isn't a day that you don't fall asleep on the couch, even when you're just sat upright or in the middle of trying to eat your dinner, it's a sign your body is leaping on the chance when you stop to take a minute to sit!

42. Your Weekend Lie-Ins Are Precious

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There could be more happening here than simply wanting to not set an alarm. If you absolutely need your weekend lie-ins, with no room for negotiation, it could be because this is the only time you feel likely you can catch up with sleep you haven't been getting during the week. The issue is that 'catching up' doesn't really work, as you can't cancel out a bad week's sleep by sleeping in extra at the weekend!

43. Your Eyes Look In A Terrible State

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Lack of sleep is always going to show in the eyes. Along with your vision probably being blurred and groggy, your eyes might also be bloodshot, droopy, have heavy bags under them or dark lines. You may even be more likely to get things like pink eye or a stye if you're so tired or constantly rubbing your eyes to wake up.

44. You Feel Like Death When You Wake Up

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It's normal to feel a little groggy when your alarm goes off, even when you've had a good night sleep - it just takes a minute or two to come around. But if you're waking up feeling like you've been beaten up in your sleep, and also might struggle with a sore throat, a cough, a runny noise and aches and pains, it's a sign you haven't got a good night's sleep.

45. You Actually Stumble When You Get Out Of Bed

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Most people might do a zombie-shuffle to the bathroom when they've just woken up, but it could be a new level of sleep deprivation if you stumble the second your foot hits the ground. If you feel dizzy, light-headed and really clumsy on your feet, you definitely haven't gotten the sleep you need - and this could have built up over time after many nights of lack of sleep!

46. You Feel Like You're Depending On A Whole Bunch Of Other Stuff Just To Get Through The Day

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If you've gotten enough sleep, you should never feel like you have to depend on anything else just to function. Whether it's depending on caffeine, energy drinks, loud music or even other people to help you do certain tasks, it's a sign you're trying to make up for lack of sleep through any means possible just to get through the day.

47. You're Choosing Public Transport Over Driving

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Most people would always choose to take their own car over public transport, especially if it means less of a commute. But if you're so tired that you're actually having to take public transport because you're worried about how tired you get behind the wheel, you're not getting enough zzz's!

48. You're Thinking Very, Very Slowly

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You just can't seem to switch your brain into normal-speed mode. Even the simplest things can take you an age to think about. You might stop just to remember the order of things for making a coffee, or what the route is to get home. Your brain feels like sludge trying to move through even more sludge.

49. You Keep Rubbing Your Eyes

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Your eyes aren't going to react well to not getting enough sleep, but it's about more than simply looking a little puffy or bloodshot. You might find your eyes are constantly itchy, stingy or just uncomfortable. You might be rubbing them non-stop throughout the day to deal with the discomfort or just hope it'll clear your foggy vision a little.

50. Your Hygiene And Appearance Have Taken A Hit

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You can usually tell when a person is more tired or lacks energy if their appearance has gone downhill. It's more likely you're going to skip washing or brushing your hair, having a shower or ironing your clothes properly if you're so tired you can't be bothered to do it. Not only that, but being more tired means you're more likely to get up late - which means thinks like ironing clothes and eating breakfast might take a hit.