I guess March 10th is insomnia awareness day, so I’m here to shed some light on insomnia and what it can do to someone who suffers from it. 

I’ve struggled with insomnia for over 10 years now. I remember it started when I was in my sophomore year in high school. I went through a lot of emotional stress growing up and it got worse in high school. We aren’t going to get into that, because I don’t want to relive those days. Since having insomnia for so long, I’m pretty sure I can tell you every side affect there is, and they all suck.
When I try to go to sleep, not matter how mentally and physically exhausted I am, I can’t fall asleep. This is an every night battle. On a nightly basis, I get maybe 4 hours of sleep, if I’m lucky. 

Here is what can happen if you don’t sleep.

Not feeling rested once you do sleep

This I think is the worst one. Chances are, you’ll feel more tired if you get a full 8 hours of sleep one night because your body is running off of so little sleep. This sucks. There’s that once in a blue moon that you actually fall asleep no problem and stay asleep no problem and then it does nothing for you. I hate this. This is my life. 

Weight gain

This is honestly not a horrible thing for me because I have always been so skinny, but it can be harmful for others. When you don’t sleep, your body isn’t getting enough sleep, everything slows down, including your digestive system. Sleep is an essential part of the digestive system. When you don’t sleep well, your brain produces too much Ghrelin (Which is a hunger hormone your body produces), meaning you feel hungry more of the time, and therefore eat more than necessary. 

Becoming a flaky person

This is so true. When you don’t sleep, naturally, you’re tired all the freaking time. And I mean too tired to even shower. This keeps you from wanting to go and do anything outside your house. I’ve been that flaky friend. Not so much now. It just sucks that you can loose friendships over having insomnia. 

Health Problems

Not sleeping enough can cause a variety of health problems including mental health problems. My insomnia has been worse the last few years than it’s ever been and so has my health. It feels like I’m sick all the time with one thing or another. If I’m not sick, I have massive head aches. 

Irritability 

Just like babies and younger kids, if they don’t sleep, they are grouchy. Your irritability level sky rockets if you go so long without decent sleep. I would know, I get told I’m irritable on a daily basis. You just have no patience for anyone or anything let alone for yourself. 

Insomnia is a real issue. I don’t choose to stay up all hours of then night. I am not a night owl and would love more than anything to just go the hell to sleep, but it’s like my body and brain are arguing the entire time about me going to sleep. My mind races a million miles an hour. I’ll finally remember the thing I forgot earlier when it’s 10pm and I’m already in bed, and of course, I can’t stop thinking about that and all the other random thoughts dancing around in my head all uninvited. Having insomnia has taken a huge toll one my mental health as well. It Causes more anxiety attacks for me. 

The best advice I can give is…

Surround yourself with people who care and not people who mock your illnesses. You need support, not criticism. Try going to bed the same time every night and getting up the same every morning. Your body needs a routine. If you have real bad insomnia, try seeing a doctor about it. Remember, take care of you!