Your body can handle a single night of bad sleep, but if you regularly neglect sleep it may result in many health problems including memory issues, weakened immunity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and type two diabetes. However, sleep disorders can be a sign of other conditions such as sleep apnea (cessation of breathing) or stress. If you can’t fight this problem on your own it’s time to visit a physician. We’ve collected signs that indicate a sleep disorder to help you understand when to seek help. 

1. You are irritable

A bad mood can have hundreds of reasons - from a bad day to clinical depression and hormonal imbalance. Actually, lack of sleep also affects our mental health. Sleep problems were considered a symptom of mental issues until studies have shown that insomnia can increase the risk of psychological problems and worsen the condition of patients with certain diseases such as depression or anxiety. You might notice that your mood is unstable after a sleepless night. The same thing happens with a continuous lack of sleep. If you notice that you are irritable and nervous more than usual, perhaps you need more sleep. 

2. You fall asleep too fast

Many people think that falling asleep fast is a sign of healthy sleep. But in fact, falling asleep too fast is a sign of sleeping issues. According to experts, if you fall asleep in less than five minutes, you may have a sleep disorder. Gradually falling asleep for twenty minutes is a sign of good sleep.

3. You have become less attentive

Lack of sleep lowers concentration and affects the ability to perform tasks that require logical reasoning. That’s why sleepy drivers are not advised to drive since lack of attention can lead to a tragic accident. If you experience an inability to concentrate and difficulty learning new concepts, it's time to sleep more.

4. You have memory issues 

For more than a hundred years, scientists have been convinced that memory is closely connected with sleep. They think that our brain collects and processes all the information received during the whole day. One of the possible effects of lack of sleep is a deterioration in short-term memory.

5. You are always hungry

There is an unobvious connection between sleep and eating habits. A study by scientists at the California Institute in Berkeley showed that after a sleepless night, participants in the experiment wanted junk food and snacks more than usual.

Lack of sleep affects the highly organized parts of the brain needed for complex decisions and judgments, reducing their activity. At the same time, the brain zones responsible for less complex processes that control motivation and desires begin to become more actively involved. If you’re always hungry and crave junk food and have sleep problems, turn to a primary care physician.

6. Your immunity is weakened 

A lot of factors can affect the immune system and cause common colds, for example, smoking or uncleaned air in the office. Sleep quality and quantity is also an important factor which can boost as well as weaken the immune system. A study by American scientists showed that those who sleep six hours or less were four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus than those who slept seven or eight hours. This doesn’t mean that sleep should be the main protection against seasonal colds but it plays an important role in the state of your immune system.