The five signs you're not getting enough sleep trends now
Balancing work, a social life and staying fit and healthy can mean that getting enough sleep is often sacrificed.
But experts warn that a lack of shut-eye can trigger wide-ranging and severe health problems, beyond just feeling a little tired.
This is because snoozing is vital for healing the heart and blood vessels, while those who are extremely sleep deprived are even at risk of damaging their organs.
Here, MailOnline reveals the five signs you're not getting enough sleep, according to retailer Bed Kingdom.
The warning signs that you're not getting enough sleep include craving a takeaway, having poor memory, overheating, weight gain and making poor decisions
If you're getting sudden urges to indulge in a takeaway or junk food, it could be a sign you're sleep deprived.
A lack of sleep alters appetite-regulating hormones, according to scientists from the University of California.
The small 2014 study monitored the food cravings of 23 healthy participants on nights where they had normal sleep and nights of total sleep deprivation.
They found that, when volunteers did not get enough sleep, participants were more likely to turn to junk food. The researchers believe this was due to cravings for high calories, high sugar and high fat snacks as a way to increase energy levels.
But researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine found in 2019 that the cravings for unhealthy food among those who don't sleep enough could be down to your nose, or olfactory system — the sense of smell.
Experts suggest that when you are sleep deprived, your nose is too tired to signal enough information to the brain regarding different food odours.
This can result in you reaching for richer food with a stronger odour, often junk food.
Poor memoryMany people may feel more forgetful when they are tired.
This is because sleep deprivation affects the brain’s ability to learn and recall information.
During rapid eye movement sleep (REM), which is known for dreaming, the brain is active, building and storing memories from the previous day, according to the Sleep Foundation.
Less sleep disrupts this process, interrupting the formation of memories and absorbing of information.
And people who are sleep deprived are even at risk of forming false memories, according a study of 60 people by medics in Singapore, published in the Journal of Sleep Research in 2016.
Not only is your ability to remember affected by a lack of shut-eye, sleep is also essential for reinforcing the learning and absorbing of motor skills and physical reflexes - hence the term muscle memory.
This is another reason why a high percentage of car accidents occur due to sleep deprivation, as experts say sleep-deprived drivers have a slower reaction time.
Weight gainA lack of sleep could even hamper attempts at losing weight.
Sleep duration has long been linked to the body’s production of appetite-regulating hormones, according to Harvard University Researchers.
They say insufficient sleep is associated
