10 Subtle Signs Women Are Not Getting Enough Sleep

You may have boasted that you're asleep before your head hits the pillow. But, you know what? If you do fall asleep that quickly, it could be a clear sign of sleep deprivation and a warning sign that you need to catch up on your sleep.

1. Go to sleep immediately

You might think this is a sign of good sleep, but the opposite is true. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, if you routinely fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, you may be suffering from severe sleep deprivation or even a sleep disorder.

2. You are more impulsive than usual

Whether it's your craving for donuts that you normally wouldn't be interested in or your sudden willingness to spend on expensive clothing, lack of sleep may be the culprit. Lack of sleep can have a huge impact on the brain's prefrontal cortex, an area associated with judgment, impulse control, visual association and attention. Lack of sleep can lead to poor judgment and impulsive behavior, such as poor diet, buying things without considering the consequences, irritability and other emotional problems.

3. Relying on clichés

If you find yourself talking around proverbs and phrases like "A beggar can't be chooser" and "It's better to be safe than sorry," and you're not a retiree, it might be time to take a nap. The frontal lobe is associated with speech, constructive thinking and creativity and can be deeply affected by sleep deprivation. Harris believes that people who are sleep-deprived find it difficult to have spontaneous complex speech, and many will have slurred speech, stuttering, monotonous speech, or use clichés.

4. Forgetfulness

If you've ever gone out to mail something and realized you forgot it at home when you got there, or if you can't remember a new coworker's name even though you've heard it several times, lack of rest is likely to disrupt your memory. Harris said that sleep helps with memory consolidation and emotional processing. Without proper rest, it is difficult to form memories, and it is difficult to think carefully and act rationally without grasping the ins and outs.

5. Feeling hungrier than usual

If you don't get enough sleep at night, it's hard to stop cravings for chips and ice cream. Because lack of sleep can increase your appetite and affect leptin and ghrelin. Harris said: "Leptin controls us to stop eating and produce a sense of fullness; growth hormone gives us hunger signals and tells us that we should eat. When sleep is insufficient, the balance between leptin and growth hormone is broken, leptin will decrease and growth hormone will increase. Therefore, without good sleep, the body's hormones will control us to eat more."

6. Read a sentence twice

Having trouble concentrating is also a sure sign that you’re not getting enough sleep. With lack of sleep, you lack focus and your ability to make split-second decisions is impaired, and studies have shown that sleep is important for decision-making, such as avoiding accidents while driving.

7. Becoming clumsy

Some people may find natural clumsiness endearing, but sleep deprivation can also lead to problems with motor skills, such as unsteady steps or stumbling in movements.

8. Marital disharmony

When you feel like your partner is making you angry, you may just be tired. A study from the University of California found that more frequent and severe "wars" between couples often occur when they don't get enough sleep. Researchers note that lack of sleep makes it more difficult to avoid and deal with conflict.

9. Empty

If you miss your highway exit, forget to turn, or even suddenly forget you are driving, then you need more sleep. Of course, not all short selling is bad.

10. Falling asleep at the movies or during daytime flight

Entering a dark or dull environment at the moment of falling asleep, especially during daytime sleep, is one of the signs of sleep deprivation. If you're getting enough sleep, you should be able to stay fairly alert; after all, it is daytime.