You’re waking up multiple times every night
Some people think that waking up several times a night is normal. This is incorrect. What is normal is to sleep through the night, as long as there are no loud noises actively disturbing you. Waking up once in the night is not unusual, but if it’s three or four, then something else is going on.
It takes you over half an hour to fall asleep
We all have those nights where there’s something on our mind which prevents us from falling asleep. That shouldn’t be happening every night, however. If you have enough trouble falling asleep that it’s taking you close to an hour every night, something is seriously wrong.
You never feel rested when you wake up
Sleep is supposed to rest and rejuvenate us. If it’s not doing that for you, there’s a problem somewhere. It could be that you aren’t hitting deep sleep in your sleep cycles which means that sleep is not actually restful for you, or you might be having bad dreams which can also be exhausting.
You’re more irritable than usual
Are you someone who considers themselves pretty even-tempered, but you haven’t been recently? Have you been snapping at people for little things? This is a key sign that you aren’t getting enough rest. Relaxation allows us to cope better when things do get a bit more stressful, but without a proper night’s sleep, that’s much harder.
You can’t focus on anything
Sleep helps immensely with concentration and our ability to get things done. If you can’t seem to focus on anything for the length of time you’re used to, then it could be due to lack of sleep. If reading a book, completing a task at work, or even watching a series feels like too much to focus on, you’re probably suffering from lack of sleep.
You’re hungrier
Food and sleep have something in common: they are both processes that provide us with more energy and help us get through a full day. If you find yourself needing to eat more, you are lacking in energy. Food helps fill the void you’re leaving by not sleeping enough and helps you make it through the day.
If you wake in the night, it takes forever to fall asleep again
When you do wake in the night, it should not feel difficult to roll over and fall back to sleep again. If waking up in the night feels like a disaster because you know it’ll be a good long while before you can sleep again, then your sleep routine is not at the place it should be. Sleep should not be that difficult!
You have dark circles under your eyes
Dark circles are a well-known sign of exhaustion. If you have undeniably dark bags under your eyes, you are quite likely sleep-deprived. Rest will help this visual sign that you’re not sleeping disappear. Not only is it a sign for you that you need to sleep, but the rest of the world knows it too.
Your mind feels cloudy
Brain fog refers to when your mind is clouded over and functions such as memory are a lot more difficult than usual. Not getting enough sleep heavily affects your mental skills like learning, thinking and recall. That means if you aren’t sleeping enough, you will feel unproductive, forgetful, and a little all over the place.
You’re anxious
Not only does sleep help you with reducing stress levels, but it also helps you manage the stress in your life. If you are unable to manage your stress levels, you will of course be more anxious. Sleeping enough allows you to be more grounded and relaxed. If your anxiety levels are higher than usual without another explanation, it could be because you’re not sleeping well.