5 signs you’re not getting enough sleep

If you’re not feeling yourself, you could be showing one of the 5 signs you’re not getting enough sleep – and decent shut-eye is the secret to getting the most out of life.

Prioritising sleepy time will help keep your waistline in check and your skin looking its best. It will ensure that you get the most out of every workout, stay focused in the office and even help to slash stress levels. Read our problem-solving guide to set yourself up for a good night’s kip tonight.

Sign 1: You’re always hungry
Find it hard to stick to your healthy-eating routine when you’ve missed out on slumber time? Studies show that getting less than six hours of sleep a night is linked with increased levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, lower levels of the satiating hormone leptin and decreases in insulin sensitivity, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

What to do: Keep healthy snacks such as raw nuts, an apple and oatcakes with houmous at hand when hunger pangs strike.

Sign 2: You’re snappy at work
Can’t seem to keep it together in the office? Poor shut-eye is a trigger for mood swings, as sleep deprivation causes an imbalance in the amygdala area of the brain, responsible for regulating your emotions.

What to do: Pile your plate with mood-boosting foods such as turkey, bananas and milk –these are high in tryptophan which is needed to create the happiness and sleep neurotransmitter serotonin.

Sign 3: You feel stressed
Stress messes with sleep quality by activating your body’s fight or flight response and raising levels of the hormone cortisol. It’s a vicious cycle as the more stressed you are, the less sleep you get, which ends up making you feel more frazzled.

What to do: Create a chill-out evening routine leading up to bedtime. Have a relaxing bath and cup of chamomile tea before bed and spritz lavender oil onto your pillow to naturally calm your body and mind.

Sign 4: You’re underperforming in the gym
Sleep and exercise go hand in hand so if you’ve lost your gym mojo, your bedtime routine may be to blame. Whether you’re no longer beating your PB, lagging behind at spin class or can’t seem to push as many weights as usual, reassessing your sleep pattern may be the way out of your workout rut. Good quality sleep allows your body’s cells to rejuvenate, helping you to perform to your maximum ability in the gym.

What to do: Try to follow the same sleep schedule every night, going to bed and waking at the same time to help regulate your body’s internal body clock.

Sign 5: You look worse for wear
Don’t like what you see in the mirror? Not getting adequate beauty sleep can have a massive effect on your appearance as skin needs recovery time for cells to renew and restore. Premature wrinkles, sallow skin and a decreased ability to recover after sun exposure are just a few of the side effects. One US study found that women who were poorer sleepers suffered accelerated signs of ageing and rated themselves as less attractive than those who got enough time in the hay.

What to do: Keep skin cells well hydrated by drinking at least two litres of water daily. Slather coconut oil onto your face morning and night as this is super-moisturising and packed with good fats to nourish skin.

3 tips for sleeping better
Follow sleep expert and chartered physiotherapist Sammy Margo’s top tricks for getting a good night’s rest.

1 .Sleep in a dark room
Replace any bedside lamps with reading lights as they are less disruptive, and invest in an eye mask to block out all light.

2. Get a good mattress
Consider buying a new bed if it is more than eight years old. Its structure would have deteriorated by 75 per cent, which could compromise your sleep quality.

3. Buy new bedding
If you toss and turn because you get hot and sweaty at night, it might be worth getting some new bedding. Choose the duvet weight and comfort level that you want. Don’t forget to that a cool room is optimal for good sleep. Wearing lightweight natural fibres such as cotton in bed will also help regulate body heat.