Do you need more sleep? Sometimes you feel very good, but suddenly you find yourself exhausted. There are five subtle ways to show that the body needs sleep. 

Lack of sleep, or poor sleep, deprives you of much more than "just feeling tired."

Lack of sleep can affect the whole body, so if you have any of the following symptoms, you probably need more sleep.

1. Go to sleep almost immediately

Spending 30 minutes or more sleeping is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep. Being able to fall asleep quickly is generally a good thing, but falling asleep as soon as you put your head in the pillows is again a not-so-good sign. Sleeping directly while lying in bed can be a sign of chronic sleep fatigue.

2. Have a low sexual desire

For good sex, you initially need good sleep and if you do not get this, it can affect your sex life. Poor sleep inhibits men with erections and insufficient sleep inhibits hormone production in both men and women.

Women may be particularly vulnerable to poor sleep and decreased sexual desire because they tend to experience more hormonal changes throughout their lives, such as symptoms before menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. Women are also more likely to wake up at night to care for babies or toddlers.

3. You are dehydrated

Excessive drinking before bed can interrupt our sleep, but did you know that insufficient sleep can make you thirsty? One study found that short sleep duration was associated with an increased risk of inadequate hydration.

This may be due to the hormone vasopressin - your body produces more during late periods of sleep to prevent dehydration, but interrupted sleep can affect when this hormone is released, making you more vulnerable to dehydration.

4. Have an appetite only for fast and unhealthy foods

There is a link between sleep deprivation and weight gain - as in the examples above, we come back to hormones. Poor sleep can increase the production of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. If you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to eat foods throughout the day and less likely to exercise. Combined with cravings for high calorie foods, this can bring problems for your diet!

5. You are anxious

One in five American adults is living with mental illness. Sleep and mental health are closely linked and even share a cyclical relationship. Feeling anxious or depressed can negatively affect your sleep cycle, and lack of sleep can make you feel stressed and anxious.

Sleep disorders are also associated with mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

Sleep health, mental health and general health are all linked. If you have problems with one, you probably have problems with at least one of the others. However, it also means that treatment can improve your quality of life in other areas.

How to sleep better

You do not have to live with sleep problems. You can improve your symptoms and sleep better by updating some of your sleeping habits. Consider trying the following:

- Keep a sleep diary to find out your sleep time, your waking time, your sleeping habits and any sleep problems that occur every night.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
- Improve your sleep hygiene. Ideally, you want to give yourself enough time to take care of any unfinished work of the day and so that you can fall asleep easily. Be sure to put your equipment away at least an hour before bedtime.
- Take a nap during the day. but not too close to bedtime, or for more than 90 minutes.

Source: Psychology Today