Not only is sleep essential to keeping your body moving and, well, staying alive, but without it, you literally feel the worst. You know that feeling that comes with lack of sleep: the headache, that pain behind the eyes, the inability to truly comprehend everything and anything around you. With less than six hours of sleep, it’s amazing how difficult even the simplest tasks can become. You may be alive, but you’re the living dead.
As a night person who suffers from occasional insomnia, I know the pain that comes with lack of sleep all too well. I also know there’s nothing worse than laying in bed, counting the minutes, knowing that with each one that passes you’re closer to the morning — and further from getting any sleep. As you continually check the clock, you begin to stress out about how close the morning is, and before you know it, the sun is coming up, and you’re terrified as to how you’re supposed to get through the day.
There’s nothing easy about going out into the world when you haven’t slept. Here are 27 things that just suck completely when you haven’t gotten enough shuteye.
GETTING OUT OF BED WHEN your ALARM GOES OFF
Trying to get out of bed, even though you only finally fell asleep an hour ago, is something equivalent to hell on earth. The thought of leaving your pillow behind breaks your heart.
FACING THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST 12 HOURS BEFORE YOU CAN SLEEP AGAIN
WALKING FROM THE BED TO THE SHOWER (ACTUALLY, WALKING IN GENERAL)
You will stumble; that is inevitable. You might even walk into the wall, but it’s not really your fault. You just can’t see clearly.
DEALING WITH YOUR BED HEAD
No matter the length of your hair, it will refuse to behave when you haven’t slept enough. It is very likely that you will seriously consider shaving it off, because your patience is zilch.
TRYING TO PUT ON ANY TYPE OF EYE MAKEUP
Before you know it, you've poked yourself in the eye. That puffy-eyed feeling makes everything feel ... sticky.
knowing you're beyond the point where even coffee will even help
It's a dark place.
getting coffee anyway, then feeling like you're losing your mind
So many jitters.
TRYING TO GET THROUGH YOUR COMMUTE WITHOUT ROAD RAGE (OR SUBWAY RAGE)
Whether you drive or take the train in, it’s HARD. Why are there so many people? Why can’t they get out of your way? Why can’t you just hook yourself up to a caffeine IV? Do those even exist? Why is this taking SO long?
TRYING TO SEE THROUGH THE BLURRY LAYER OF SLEEPY EYE MUCUS
Everything is blurry, you have that pain behind the eyes, and you have a headache that feels like you’re hungover, although you haven’t had a drink in days. Everything about it is gross.
COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUR COWORKERS
As if it’s not hard enough on a regular basis to try to handle people, throw in lack of sleep, and it’s as if the part of your brain that’s in charge of social behavior just turns right off.
SPELLING OR TYPING PROPERLY
Even the greatest speller in the world can’t seem to spell when they haven’t slept enough. Not only that, but your fingers fumble on the keys as you try to keep your head from crashing down onto your keyboard.
CONCENTRATING ON ... ANYTHING
Concentrating is literally a joke when you’re exhausted.
COMPREHENSION, AGAIN, OF ANYTHING
You’ll read an entire paragraph, and it just won’t stick. It’s as if you’re reading another language and just can’t understand it for the life you.
having to pretend that you're competent at work or school anyway
There should really be sleep sick days.
GETTING BAD NEWS
Bad news is never a good time, but when you haven’t slept, it’s literally the end of the world. Even if that bad news is just that the bagel shop is out of your favorite cream cheese.
WALKING IN HEELS
Yeah, right. Enjoy that face plant. Why did you wear those when you're tired?
EXERCISING
Let's be honest: Just skip it before you hurt yourself.
EATING HEALTHY
Who wants to go through the effort of making a salad or even standing in line at a salad bar when you can just grab a slice of pizza?
TRYING TO find things
Where the hell is your wallet?
KEEPING YOUR COOL WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BAGEL OK?! No one understands me.
TRYING TO GET FROM 3 P.M. to 4 P.M.
Ugh. Absolute worst, right?
not being able to take a nap at work
and if you do, getting caught and having to PRETEND IT'S A JOKE
Haha! You're so funny!
GETTING HOME IN ONE PIECE (WITHOUT CRYING SOME MORE)
forcing yourself to stay up another few hours so that you don't go to bed at 6 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m.
Netflix is the only thing your mind can handle.
ironically, finally CLIMBING BACK INTO BED AND trying to FALL ASLEEP again
Because as we all know, when you're beyond exhausted, trying to sleep can be even harder
Just. The. Worst.
Images: Giphy(13); ReactionGIF(7); WiffleGIF(4)
