Are you getting enough sleep?

Can't remember when you last had a decent night's rest? It could be affecting your health, without you realising

- DR PHILIPPA KAYE

We all know that amazing feeling of getting into bed at night, as your body relaxes and you melt into the covers… But, then what? Do you sleep well? The average adult needs between seven and nine hours’ sleep per night – have you had enough?

Sleep is essential for health. In fact, sleep deprivation has been used as a form of torture! Aside from feeling tired, here’s what else you might experience:

1 APPETITE CHANGES

The hormones that affect appetite and fullness are impacted by sleep deprivation, so you may feel hungrier than normal, eat more, make less healthy choices and, over time, this can lead to weight gain. So could a lack of sleep be the reason you’ve been reaching for the snacks recently?

2 MORE COUGHS AND COLDS

Not getting enough sleep can weaken your immune system, meaning that you may get rundown more than usual.

3 BRAIN FOG

Difficulties with concentration, memory and making decisions aren’t just menopause symptoms, but can also be due to lack of sleep. This can impact your ability to function effectively at work and at home.

4 MOOD CHANGES

Just one night of poor sleep can leave us feeling grumpy the next day. Over time, sleep issues may lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

5 YOUR SEX DRIVE DECLINES 

Fatigue and a lack of sleep is strongly associated with a drop in libido, so you may notice that you are less interested in sex.