Rebecca Muller* says if you’re feeling irritable, achy, clumsy or unfocused, your body might be telling you to get some rest.
The science behind the benefits of sleep — for our mood, our performance, or our overall well-being — continues to mount and one constant thread persists: Most of us need more sleep.
Research shows one in three adults suffers from lack of sleep on a daily basis, and yet, so many of us are ignoring our bodies’ signs that tell us we need to rest.
When we pause and pay attention to those signs, it makes us listen and allow ourselves to reset, recharge, and feel our best.
We asked our Thrive community to share with us the small ways their bodies signal to them that they need more sleep. Which of these signs resonates with you?
“With the state of uncertainty surrounding the world right now, getting enough sleep is critical.
“I listen to my body and what it tells me daily.
“I know I need more or better sleep when I hit ‘snooze’ more than once, and when I’m feeling sluggish at the gym or irritable during the day.”
— Joshua Miller, executive coach, Texas, United States.
“When my body needs more sleep, my workouts get tougher, and it’s harder to remember basic things like drinking water.
“I also find myself struggling to remember to eat well and to even make a to-do list.
“Essentially, things that used to come easily to me suddenly get harder when I need more sleep.”
— Karisa Karmali, fitness trainer, Ontario, Canada
“I know I need more sleep when I start to creep into ‘glass half empty mode’. I have a very positive outlook generally.
“Years of gratitude practice has rewired my brain to look for the happiness in life, but when I’m tired, all the negative emotions begin to creep in.
“I’m fortunate enough to recognise it now, and lucky that I’m able to sleep pretty much anywhere.
“So if I can grab a nap, I will.
“It’s incredible to me how even a lost hour or two can have such a negative impact on my state of mind.”
— Audrey Mason, happiness coach, Scotland, United Kingdom.
“My stomach will let me know when I am not getting enough sleep. It will just be off until I get the sleep I need.”
— Marc LeBlanc, engineering manager, Ottawa, Canada.
“When I haven’t had a restful sleep or enough hours of sleep, I wake up with a busy mind.
“When I am in my regular routine of good sleep hygiene, I wake up calm and feel like my mind is a blank slate ready to ease into the day.
“On the days when I haven’t given myself the gift of proper sleep, my busy mind generally spirals, leading to feeling physically anxious and emotionally reactive.”
—Emily Madill, author and professional coach, British Columbia, Canada.
“I’ve come to recognise that the hunger I sometimes sense in the middle of the day is not real hunger but sleepiness.
“I feel what seems to be a void in my stomach, and I start to think about food, namely carb-rich foods like bread, potatoes, or pasta.
“I’ve learned that when the body needs to restore energy, it gives out the same signal, whether it is for calories or for rest.”
— Carolina Perez Sanz, relationship systems coach, Florida, United States.
“The body doesn’t lie.
“I always know when I am in dire need of more sleep as my eyelids feel as heavy as lead and actually start to close.
“I believe this is my body’s way of creating forced shut-eye. This physical alert ensures I integrate micro-steps towards better sleep.”
— Candice Tomlinson, coach and hypnotherapist, Sydney, Australia.
*Rebecca Muller is a senior editor and Community Manager at Thrive Global. Her previous work experience includes roles in editorial and digital journalism. She is on Instagram @rebeccabmuller.
This article first appeared at thriveglobal.com
