It may seem like identifying sleep deprivation would be easy, or that the only symptom is fatigue. This list is intended to help you take measured stock of some of the most common symptoms of sleep deprivation so you may identify whether or not you may be operating at a suboptimal level due to chronic sleep deprivation.

1. Decreased Energy Levels

Take a moment and think objectively about your energy levels during the day. Do you feel enthusiastic, or do you feel sluggish? Now think about your energy levels during the course of a week.

It’s easy to become accustomed to low energy levels, and after a while, it may become difficult to identify whether your energy is lower or whether it has always been this way.

There are stories of individuals who, after years of increasingly low energy, went in for a sleep study only to find out that they had sleep apnea. After getting tested and appropriate treatment, these individuals often remark how much better their life feels qualitatively.

Taking the time to observe your energy levels can help bring awareness to the potential for improvements.

2. Irritability

Another common sign of sleep deprivation is chronic irritability. Do little things seem to bother you more than usual? Are you lashing out in ways that are atypical for you as a person? This may be a good indicator that your quantity and quality of sleep are not sufficient. Emotional regulation is a brain function for which sleep is very important.

During the normal course of your day, it can be helpful to write down each time you feel especially irritable. It could be that your brain is operating at a suboptimal level due to a lack of appropriate sleep.

Sleep helps the brain and body restored to their normal and optimal functioning. 

3. Lessened Enjoyment

Similar to irritability, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to decreased enjoyment of life overall.

When you are tired, your limbic system is operating with lessened inhibition. It can become easier to be emotionally unregulated. This can translate into a decreased ability to feel the joy that you would typically feel daily.

A good way to take stock of your enjoyment of your life is to keep track of how your brain state is when you are between activities. Do you feel content, or do you feel a more negative emotion? 

If you notice that you are beginning to feel less and less joy, it may be a good time to consider the impact that sleep could be having on your mental state.

If you change your sleep patterns, it is a good idea to retake stock and see if things have improved. Much of this list is geared toward increasing your awareness, to support overall quality of life.

4. Falling Asleep at Inappropriate times

We have all experienced sitting in a meeting at 9:00 a.m. and beginning to nod off. You think to yourself, “How am I tired right now? I woke up just a few hours ago.”

Or you are driving, and it seems that every time you get behind the wheel your eyes begin to get droopy.

These are both indicators that you are not getting enough sleep consistently. One or two instances of lessened sleep at night don’t cause significant changes in alertness. However, feeling this way all the time may indicate that you are not getting good sleep on a regular basis. 

5. Reliance on Caffeine, Sugar, or Nicotine

One final sign that you may be sleep-deprived is to take inventory of your daily consumption of caffeine or nicotine. Both caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that stimulate sympathetic nervous system arousal. The effect of the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system is to improve energy levels overall. This can be very helpful on days when you feel low energy and need a boost.

The danger can come from becoming reliant on these substances to maintain normal energy levels. One thing that caffeine does is limit the body's ability to tell if it is tired. While this is helpful in the short term, it can become very disruptive to sleep patterns. It can be all too easy in this busy world to forego sleeping appropriately, and instead reach for a vanilla latte with 3 espresso shots.

Sugar, caffeine, and nicotine are all addictive substances. Practically speaking this means that they can create habits very quickly, and it is all too easy to become reliant on them for stimulating energy.

An easy test to see if you have a reliance or addiction to these is to go without for two weeks. If this is a challenge or causes headaches or cravings, it might be an indication that you are relying a little heavier than is beneficial for quality sleep.

This is one way that we mask our sleep deprivation. We get into a cycle of stimulating our energy levels in the morning and afternoon, which in turn, can disrupt our sleep in the evening, which makes us more tired in the morning, furthering our reliance on the stimulants to keep going through the day.

Conclusion

Each person has different ways of coping with lack of sleep, and each person’s presentation of sleep deprivation can be unique.

Being aware of these five indicators of sleep deprivation can be one step toward a healthier balance in your sleep life. If you or a love one struggles with getting sleep, then please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals.