4 Signs That You're Not Getting Enough Sleep

Is your body trying to tell you that it needs more rest? Here's how to tell.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | August 27, 2024

In the orchestra of life, composed of emotions, feelings and desires, sleep is the quiet conductor, subtly guiding the synchronization and harmony of your mental and physical well-being.

However, amid the rush of our over-committed modern lives, we often ignore the silent but desperate signals of our sleep-deprived bodies. We often dismiss sleep as an afterthought while juggling other commitments to our work or the people around us. These ignored signals might seem minor, but can profoundly impact our entire existence—physical as well as emotional.

What's The Right Amount Of Sleep?

Sleep researcher David F. Dinges warns, "When the duration of sleep drops below seven hours, and especially when it starts to move toward six and a half hours or less, a number of different disorders begin to increase in prevalence."

This underscores that getting the right amount of sleep is as essential as getting sleep in the first place. A 2018 study by Susan Worley highlights this concern, linking insufficient sleep to serious physical conditions like hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and impaired immune function.

However, it's not just about getting more or less sleep. It's about finding the right balance. Research indicates that too little sleep significantly raises the risk of mental health issues, but too much sleep can be just as problematic, as shown in an "inverted J-shaped" graph of risk, particularly in young adults. In simpler terms, mental health issues are better managed when sleep is at the desired amount—neither too much nor too little.

All of this to say, whether we're talking about mental or physical health, the right amount and quality of sleep is vital to our overall well-being. And it's never too late to start paying attention to our daily habits and recognize when our sleep routine needs some TLC. Here are five early and simple ways to identify and address the silent cries of your sleep cycle.

1. Persistent Daytime Fatigue

Imagine you're tackling a crucial task, but you constantly feel distracted, unfocused and unmotivated. This persistent daytime fatigue isn't just tiredness—it's a distress signal from your body. It's a warning that's easy to overlook but gets progressively hard to actually ignore over time. A full night's sleep might leave you refreshed, but if you're struggling through the day, something deeper might be at play.

Daytime-fatigue goes beyond just feeling sluggish. It disrupts your focus, mood and overall productivity. A 2022 study highlights that this constant sleepiness can significantly impact daily life, especially in students. Underlying issues like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome might be robbing you of quality rest without you even realizing it.

When sleep deprivation becomes routine, your brain's control center for sleep—the hypothalamus—suffers. Jun Kohyama's 2021 research emphasizes that both the quantity and quality of sleep matter equally. Even eight hours of broken or restless sleep might leave you feeling drained. If you are feeling the weight of daytime fatigue during your waking hours, it might be a signal that something is off and needs addressing before it starts affecting your overall health and daily activities.

2. Brain Fog

Brain fog can feel like navigating a thick mental mist, where clarity of thought constantly eludes you. This term describes a range of symptoms including difficulties with memory, attention and concentration, all tied to mental fatigue. A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, cardiology expert Russell Rosenberg highlights that brain fog is at the core of hypersomnolence—an excessive sleep disorder.

This mental haze often results from insufficient REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the crucial stage where your brain processes memories and sharpens cognitive abilities. When REM sleep is disrupted, it's not just your thoughts that become cloudy—your overall mental functioning suffers. Research shows that poor sleep can lead to brain fog, and in turn, brain fog can make it even harder to sleep well, sometimes even causing issues like sleep paralysis.

During REM sleep, the brain engages in vital processes such as synaptic plasticity, which underpins learning and memory. Insights from Harvard Medical School reveal that inadequate sleep delays reaction times, impairs responses and reduces attention spans. For example, staying awake for 48 hours can severely affect cognitive abilities, making it difficult to concentrate and recall information. Brain fog is more than just an annoyance—it's a clear sign that your brain isn't getting the restorative sleep it desperately needs.

3. Vague Mood Swings

Research from 2019 reveals that a lack of sleep deeply impacts your mood and emotions, creating a vicious cycle. Sleepless nights don't just make you grumpy—they send you spiraling into irritability, anxiety and even depression. According to a 2014 study published in the journal Sleep, reduced sleep raises the risk of major depression which then worsens sleep quality, compounding the problem.

When you're sleep-deprived, your amygdala—the brain's emotional center—turns into a "hyperactive child," with haphazard and unpredictable changes. Research shows that sleep deprivation is strongly linked to increased aggression—the feel-bad emotions. In a 2014 study published in The Journal of Sleep Research, Denise Jarrin found that people who are sleep-deprived react to negative stimuli with 60% more intensity. So, those mood swings aren't just passing feelings—they're signals that your emotional balance is being disrupted by poor sleep.

4. Quick Sleep Onset

Contrary to popular belief, falling asleep the moment your head hits the pillow isn't the badge of honor it's often presumed to be. Here, we're discussing "sleep latency"—the time it takes to drift off. According to the Encyclopedia of Sleep, normal "sleep latency" for adults is between 10 and 20 minutes. If it's under 5 minutes, it indicates pathologic sleepiness, which is associated with impaired performance. This rapid sleep onset signals that your body is overcompensating for accumulated sleep deprivation.

A sleep latency of less than five minutes often points to excessive daytime sleepiness and may be linked to sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. An instantaneous sleep onset isn't just a sign to maintain healthy sleep but of your body's urgent need to recover lost rest. If this is happening, it's time to reassess and adjust your sleep patterns.

The Immediate Plan of Action to Help You Get Better Sleep

Ignoring these signals is like ignoring warning lights on your car's dashboard for your fuel at reserve—it may run for a while but eventually it will break down. Once you identify if your sleep needs care, here is a basic manual to sleep manual you can start with:

• Stick to a schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Setting reminders may help sticking to a schedule.
• Relax before bed. Do something calming like reading or taking a bath or changing into comfortable clothes.
• Avoid screens at night. Avoid phones and computers an hour before bed. This helps your mind get back to baseline and avoid sleep disrupting stimulation.
• Watch your intake before sleep. Strictly skip caffeine. Ideally there should not be caffeine intake in the last 6 hours before your bed calls you for sleep. Avoid heavy meals before bedtime.
• Stay active in the day. Get some exercise, but not right before bed.
• Make your room cozy. Keep your bedroom cool, dark and calm. You can also listen to calming music while sleeping.
• Keep naps short. If you nap, make it brief and earlier in the day. Naps in the later half, might cannibalize on your precious night time slumber.

Worried about your lack of sleep? Take the Insomnia Severity Index to gain a better understanding of the extent of your problem.

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.