How To Tell If You're Getting Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is vital for your mental and physical well-being, but you may not know how much sleep is required for your needs. The majority of adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel their best. Here are a few ways to notice if you are sleeping enough for your health. 

Way 1: Are You Alert Throughout the Day?

When you are sleeping enough, you will feel mentally alert while driving a vehicle or completing paperwork. If you are struggling to remain alert on a daily basis, then you aren’t sleeping enough each night. When you aren’t mentally focused while operating machinery or working at a job, you are likely to make serious mistakes. 

Way 2: Are You Frequently Ill?

When you are sleeping, your body’s lymph glands produce chemicals that improve your immunity levels. If you are sick many times throughout the year, then your immune system is depleted, causing you to have colds or influenza. While getting enough sleep may not prevent every illness, having a stronger immune system is essential for remaining healthier. 

Way 3: Does Your Vision Seem Blurry?

After you have been awake for many hours, you may notice that your vision is blurry because you need to get some rest. If you have blurry vision in the morning despite wearing eyeglasses or contacts, then it can indicate that you aren’t sleeping enough each night. 

Way 4: Do You Fall Asleep During the Daytime?

If you fall asleep quickly while working at your desk or in dark places such as movie theaters, then you aren’t sleeping enough at night. When you are a healthy adult, you shouldn’t fall asleep while driving a vehicle or working on a computer at work. It isn’t normal to fall asleep while sitting upright in a chair, and this indicates that you need to get more sleep at night. 

Way 5: Are You Grumpy Throughout the Day?

When you aren’t sleeping enough, it can affect your mood. Notice how a child acts when she is tired to understand why lack of sleep leads to a foul mood. If you are angry with everyone at work or home on a daily basis, then you must begin to sleep more each night. Lack of sleep can also reduce your brain’s serotonin levels, leading to depression. 

Way 6: Do You Have Poor Coordination?

Lack of sleep can affect your body’s coordination, leading to dropping items or falling onto the floor. You may notice problems with coordination while performing daily tasks such as preparing meals, or you might have problems enjoying activities such as sports. 

Way 7: Are You Gaining Weight?

If you aren’t sleeping enough each night, then you may gain weight. Your body reacts to lack of sleep by producing more cortisol, and this chemical causes you to feel hungry. When you are hungry, you will eat more and gain weight. To maintain your weight, make sure to get enough sleep on a routine basis. 

Way 8: Do You Have High Blood Pressure? 

When you have high blood pressure, it is damaging your body’s cardiovascular system. New research reveals that lack of sleep can lead to high blood pressure. When you are sleeping, your body produces hormones that regulate your anxiety levels. Without adequate sleep, your stress level is uncontrollable, leading to high blood pressure.