6 Signs You Are Sleep Deprived and What to Do About It
Updated February 20, 2023.
Ensuring you get enough sleep is essential for a healthy mind and body. One of the effects of lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation, is an increased risk of various health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. While it may not be the easiest thing to deal with, sleep deprivation is relatively easy to diagnose, and there are some things you can do at home to try and fix that.
This article looks at the causes of sleep deprivation, some simple ways to tell if you have it, and what you can do to fix it.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Several factors determine the exact amount that you, as an individual, requires. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following range of sleep hours per night for specific age groups:
- 0-3months: 14-17 hours
- 4–12 months: 12–16 hours
- 1–2 years: 11-14 hours
- 3–5 years: 10-13 hours
- 6–12 years: 9-12 hours
- 13–18 years: 8-10 hours
- 18 and above: 7 or more hours
A tiny percentage of the population (~3%) requires only 6 hours of sleep per night, but do not be fooled into thinking that you are one of them just because you do sleep less than 7 hours a night. Not being consciously aware of this effect on your sleep doesn't mean that there isn't one.
Additionally, various factors can influence the amount of sleep you need. Pregnant individuals and those who suffer from poor sleep quality or are already sleep-deprived generally need more sleep than others.
6 Ways to Tell if You Are Sleep Deprived
Depending on the individual, different conditions might occur when you don't get enough sleep. The most common acute and chronic sleep deprivation symptoms include:
- Feel tired or fatigued throughout the day.
- Have difficulty focusing or concentrating.
- Become easily agitated or irritable.
- Feel more anxious or depressed than usual.
Sleep deprivation can aggravate several other conditions, and so some less obvious physical symptoms of poor sleep include:
- Unexplainable weight gain.
- Frequent cold and flu-related illnesses with worse symptoms than usual.
Causes of Sleep Deprivation
Various physical, psychological, and environmental factors can contribute to sleep exhaustion. Aside from insomnia or other sleep-related issues causing a complete decrease in the physical time spent unconscious, there are many more factors that can lower the quality of your sleep. Sleep deprivation can occur even if you get your recommended number of hours each night.
Stress, both mental and physical, is one of the leading causes of sleep deprivation. Emotional stress is often linked to other mood-related disorders like anxiety and depression, which research has shown to negatively affect sleep quality. Additionally, other physiological factors and preexisting conditions can cause sleep deprivation, such as sleep apnea (irregular and dangerous pauses in breathing during sleep) and parasomnias (conditions that are characterised by irregular movements or behaviours, such as sleepwalking or night terrors).
Aside from innate physiological issues, research has shown that various environmental factors can cause sleep deprivation without actually reducing the time spent asleep. Some of these environmental factors include:
- Excessive noise
- Exposure to light (especially blue-light emitting screens) before and during sleep
- Foods that stimulate cortisol (such as caffeine)
- Alcohol
How to Fix Sleep Deprivation
When you fail to sleep the amount your body requires, you build up an accumulation of sleep debt that doesn't go away unless it is slept off. For minor sleep debt accumulated over a night or two, this might be achieved by light napping or sleeping in the following day. However, research has suggested that sleep debt can take up to 9 days to be eliminated with regular, healthy sleeping.
As for preventing future sleep deprivation, the simplest cure (in theory) is to get more sleep. Depending on the situation, this might mean increasing the amount of time you set aside for sleep or changing your situation to improve the quality of your sleep. If you are of the former category, adhere to the required sleep times per age group listed above (keeping in mind that it takes roughly 20 minutes for an average individual to fall asleep). If you aren't getting the minimum amount required, it is imperative that you adjust your schedule to fix that.
If you are of the latter category, then improving your sleep quality involves eliminating the factors that are harming it in the first place. For most, this means using various techniques to reduce stress. Aside from the emotional aspect of sleep deprivation, eliminating the effect of the following environmental factors can also help fix sleep deprivation:
- Noise
- Light
- Screen usage before bed
- Alcohol intake
- Caffeine intake less than 10 hours before bed
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When Should You See a Doctor for Lack of Sleep?
Although sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your daily functioning, it can usually be fixed without medical attention. In the case of most environmental and physiological factors, certain lifestyle changes can be extremely beneficial in promoting better sleep. However, it's important to understand that sometimes there are underlying conditions that need medical attention to fix. Conditions like sleep apnea and parasomnia will not simply go away by drinking less caffeine or improving your sleeping environment.
In short, if you have implemented the aforementioned sleep deprivation remedies and are still struggling suffering or suspect that you may suffer from a more serious illness, you should seek medical attention.
