Are you getting enough rest? Dr Kunal Sood shares 5 signs that suggest the body is getting less sleep than it needs

Quality sleep for a sufficiently long period of time every day is essential for good health. Dr Kunal Sood shares 5 signs that hint at the need not being met.

Getting enough sleep is a non-negotiable part of maintaining good health. While the body is physically at rest when one sleeps, it is very much metabolically active and undergoing repair from within for the day’s wear and tear.

Having a good sleep cycle helps one heal properly and maintain metabolic and hormonal health. But with extremely busy lives fast becoming the norm, not everyone is getting the rest that they need every day. According to Dr Kunal Sood, that leaves apparent signs. Taking to Instagram on July 19, he shared 5 of them.

1. You rely on caffeine to function

Starting the day with a cup of coffee is a very common habit. But if one finds themselves unable to function throughout the day in the absence of caffeine, it might be a sign of sleep deprivation.

“Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, temporarily reducing sleepiness without replacing the biological recovery that occurs during sleep,” explained Dr Sood. “Over time, a cycle of sleep loss, caffeine use, and poorer sleep can develop.”

2. You crave sugar and carbs more often

The sweet tooth may not be the only reason one often craves sugar. As Dr Sood stated, “Sleep restriction can increase ghrelin, reduce appetite regulation, and make high-calorie foods more rewarding. At the same time, brain regions involved in self-control become less active, making cravings harder to resist.”

3. You are more irritable than usual

Sleep loss lowers emotional resilience, making a person much more irritable and volatile.

“Research shows it increases anger and emotional reactivity while reducing communication between the amygdala and brain regions responsible for emotional regulation,” shared Dr Sood.

4. Brain fog becomes your normal

Too little sleep can impair attention, memory, learning, reaction time, and decision-making.

As Dr Sood shared, “One landmark study found that sleeping six hours or less per night for two weeks produced cognitive deficits comparable to two nights of total sleep deprivation, even though participants became less aware of their impairment.”

5. You seem to get sick more often

Sleep helps regulate both innate and adaptive immunity. Studies have shown that shorter sleep duration is associated with a greater likelihood of developing common viral respiratory infections, cautioned Dr Sood.

In his words, “No single symptom proves sleep deprivation. But when caffeine dependence, cravings, irritability, brain fog, and frequent illness begin appearing together, it may be worth looking at both your sleep duration and sleep quality.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dr Kunal Sood, MD, is a double board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine. He did his residency and fellowship in anesthesiology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a one-year fellowship in interventional pain medicine. He later became the Medical Director of the office in Germantown, Maryland.