Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation

Not getting enough sleep is something that many people around the world routinely do; however, symptoms of sleep deprivation are only present in a portion of those not getting enough sleep. While it's generally recommended that all healthy adults get at least eight hours of sleep per night, many of the people who get less sleep than that function just fine and are not actually sleep deprived. Different people need different amounts of sleep. The following symptoms can help you decide if you or someone you love is actually sleep deprived.

Learn the signs of sleep deprivation

One of the first signs of sleep deprivation is feeling utterly exhausted, even when having woken up from a night of adequate sleep. This type of exhaustion is a common symptom of sleep deprivation; however, many other conditions that can make one feel overly tired, such as depression. Being sleep deprived will often include this symptom, and many of the symptoms below.

Do you catch every cold that you're exposed to? Are you suddenly getting the flu often and never had it before in your life? Not getting enough sleep reduces the function of the body's immune system, which makes increased sickness one of the short-term effects of sleep deprivation.

Of course, it's normal to get sick a few times each year; however, if you have a cold that just won't quit even though you've been fighting it for weeks, you might want to take a look at how much you're sleeping. It could be that a week of adequate sleep will have you back on your feet.

Do you feel clumsy? As you walk past a table, do you knock your hip into it? Of course, everyone does these things now and again, but if you find yourself feeling like a klutz several times a day, it could be that your motor function has been impaired and that you're sleep deprived.

Driving a car or working with heavy machinery are two of the most dangerous things a sleep-deprived person can do. People knowing that they are suffering from sleep deprivation and choosing not to get behind the wheel could prevent many car accidents. For employers with shift workers, sleep deprivation is also a hot topic; shift workers have many more accidents than those who work the same (daytime) hours each day.

Do you often find yourself searching your memory because you can't remember if you're supposed to pick up your daughter at 4:30 or 3:30 today? This kind of information, which can be different each day, is extremely hard to remember for someone who is chronically sleep-deprived. If you have to write down every little detail so that you don't forget anything, or anyone, it may be a sign that you should be getting much more sleep than you are.

Of course, as with all of these symptoms, you want to compare your 'normal' self to your current state. If you were forgetful your whole life, keeping an accurate daily appointment book is more likely to help than increasing your nightly hours of sleep.

Individuals with chronic sleep deprivation are often irritable and snap at coworkers and family members much more than otherwise. Patience can be very hard to find, and the frequency with which one yells or cries can become increased. Irritability is partially caused by the decreased ability to sort through information and treat it logically with not enough sleep. Even one simple request can seem like an impossible feat, so the response becomes a hurried 'no!', and the person's anxiety level goes up.

Sleep deprivation is so common that many feel this is normal. Called chronic sleep deprivation, it affects a huge number of adults in industrial countries. Did you know that before Edison created the light bulb, people slept for an average of ten hours a night? Chances are, you're getting less than that, but that doesn't have to be a problem. While some people can function well on just six hours of sleep a night, others will show symptoms of sleep deprivation while sleeping seven hours a night. For your health's sake, pay attention to these symptoms, and take action if you believe that you suffer from sleep deprivation: your health and safety, as well as the health and safety of everyone around you depend on it!

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