3 Signs of Sleep Deprivation

Contrary to common belief (and one of the sleep myths I busted in another blog post), not everyone does 8 hours of sleep. Some people need more, some less. “Subjective insomnia“ means when someone complains of insomnia despite sleeping enough hours. That is usually a sign of a non restful sleep, which can be a manifestation of psychiatric or medical conditions, or just poor sleep habits.

So how do you figure if you are sleep deprived or not? I’ll give you 3 sure signs of sleep deprivation

#1 Falling asleep in less than 5 minutes

The normal amount of time needed to fall asleep is between 5-15 minutes. Yes, you heard it right, this amount of time to fall asleep is normal. If you pass out as soon as your head hits the pillow, that is a sign that you are sleep deprived.

#2 Hitting that snooze button

If you need to hit that button more than once, it is a sign that your body needs more rest. The snooze button is a terrible idea to begin with. When you hit it and fall asleep that sleep will be fragmented and not productive sleep. It will leave you foggy and disoriented. Not the best way to start the day!

#3 Afternoon dip

Getting tired mid day around lunchtime (12-2pm) is actually a normal part of the circadian rhythm. However, if you are tired during the later phases of the afternoon, such as around 4-5pm that is a sign of sleep deprivation.

If you are showing signs of sleep deprivation try fixing your sleep by trying these techniques. If you cannot seem to get better and especially if you have symptoms such as mood changes, irritability (“short fuse“), poor focus and you are slacking in your job, please contact me since insomnia can be a sign of serious health conditions. The day you see me you will instantly sleep better (fixing sleep is one of my top priorities) and things will start looking up from there.