Not having enough sleep since your kids came along? You wish you can catch up on sleep, but when that isn’t possible, here’s what you must do – before it truly affects your life.
Your appetite goes haywire
You’ve probably noticed that if you’re tired, you get the munchies, and two new studies have explained why.
First, a team at the University of Chicago found that insufficient sleep raises levels of a molecule called 2-AG in the body that stimulates appetite.
On top of that, the second study found that when you’re sleep-deprived parts of your brain that control food choices behave differently.
Activity in areas that help you make good decisions is blunted, while areas that give a feeling of reward from food ramp up their activity.
What you can do Forewarned is forearmed, says Kate Swann, psychologist and author of Do You Really Want to Lose Weight?.
Try and spot the eating patterns you fall into when you’re tired and beat them. If, for example, you know you reach for sugar at 3pm, have a healthy snack at 2.30pm instead.
Also, address your reasoning. Yes, you’re tired and need a pick-me-up – but does it have to be food? Could you get a boost from a walk around the block instead?
(Also read: Mum of 2 cuts back on sugar after health scare, loses 10kg in 15 months)
It interferes with your skin
“Our study is the first to conclusively demonstrate that inadequate sleep is correlated with reduced skin health and accelerated ageing,” says Dr Elma Baron from University Hospitals Case Medical Center in the US.
In fact, she found that the skin of poor sleepers not only had more signs of ageing, it also didn’t recover as quickly from damage from UV light and lost moisture faster than normal.
It’s not known exactly why this occurs, but skincare company Estee Lauder (which funded Dr Baron’s research) explains that the skin performs a purification process at night called catabolism which helps with skin repair. If sleep is disrupted this process doesn’t happen as effectively.
What you can do Be extra vigilant with your SPF but also increase your consumption of foods like pomegranate, garlic and green tea – they have all been shown to protect against UV damage from within.
(Also read: 5 ways to cope with lack of sleep after your baby arrives)
You’re more likely to fight with your spouse
Even just one night of poor sleep can lead to arguments between loved ones – and those rows are likely to be more fierce than normal, say researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
They found that tiredness impairs your ability to gauge emotions, making it more likely someone will take offence for no reason.
What you can do Try not to argue when you’re tired. But if an argument does start, relationship psychologist John Aiken suggests you avoid phrases that start with “you always” or “you never”, as these often cause rows to blow up and spiral.
It can also be tempting to slip into personal attacks, for example, “you’re lazy” or “you’re selfish”, but don’t. Keep focusing only on what you can do to resolve the situation and remain calm.
It changes how you look
The more tired you are, the more it shows on your face. Dr Tina Sundelin from Sweden’s Stockholm University found that fatigued people looked paler, had more pronounced wrinkles and the corners of their mouth drooped down. Not only does this sap confidence, it might even influence how well others treat you.
Studies on health perception are rudimentary but suggest people might want to avoid interaction with those who don’t look healthy, she says.
What you can do Increase your fruit and vegetable intake by at least two portions a day. According to research from Scotland’s University of St Andrews, doing so gives your skin a noticeably healthier glow in just six weeks – and it’s believed higher doses may get even faster results.
(Also read: 5 reasons celebrity mum Joanne Peh looks amazing at age 36)
Your brain gets cluttered
It’s recently been discovered that during sleep your brain gets a detox. As you doze brain cells shrink in size by 60 per cent, creating space between them through which the body can detox harmful products like beta-amyloid, a substance linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The less you sleep the less time the brain has to cleanse – studies at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US recently found that short sleep duration was linked to a greater level of beta-amyloid build-up in the brain.
What you can do Mediterranean diet, rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, low in saturated fat and moderate in alcohol, correlates with reduced beta-amyloid build-up in the brain, says Professor Ralph Martins from the Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.
The curry spice curcumin and pomegranate juice also inhibit build-up – but possibly the best medicine to reduce beta-amyloid levels in the brain is exercise. Even if you’re tired, try and get out for a brisk walk.
(Also read: Juggling kids and businesses: Why this mum stopped allowing herself to feel guilty)
You worry more
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that when we’re tired the part of our brain that amplifies worry and anxiety is more active.
The effect is so pronounced that the doctors behind the trial say people with anxiety disorders who don’t sleep well should be having sleep therapy as part of their treatment.
What you can do To stop worry taking over on tired days, create a worry period, says Sydney-based psychologist Amrit Grewal. This is a set period of time in the day when you will tackle your worries.
When worries occur, simply tell your brain you’ll address them at this time and let them pass.
When you do get to the worry period, first ask if your “what if” thoughts are realistic. Are they likely to eventuate and how bad, realistically, will they be if they do?
Most often you’ll realise you’re worrying about things that may never happen. If you don’t though, turn your focus to action. Are there any concrete plans you can put into place to remedy the situation?
(Photos: 123RF.com)
A version of this article appeared on The Singapore Women’s Weekly.
Leave a Reply