Sleep is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, a majority of us don’t get a sufficient amount of it. Research argues that the body needs at least seven hours of sleep to stay healthy. Are you getting that much?

No, the hours you spend in bed scrolling through your phone don’t count. Don’t worry; most of us are in the same boat, which is why you’ll probably identify with the following truths. Here are 8 dark experiences and truths brought forth by sleep-deprivation.

Your appetite is more of a bottomless pit than usual. Fries, pizza, burgers, shakes – in your eyes, they’re all Pokemon balls to collect. According to a study, lack of sleep heightens hormones that signal hunger to the brain.

It’s not all fun and food, though. The same study explains that when you lack sleep, your metabolism also slows down. This means that frequent all-nighters can lead to weight gain.

Surprise!

There are actual times when an all-nighter isn’t caused by binge-drinking. During those times, you may have been confused as to why you feel drunk or hung over the next day. Dr. Paruthi warns us that “driving while sleep deprived is the equivalent of driving drunk.” Which explains the bad decisions you’ve been making. Sort of.

Not only have your eye bags been upgraded to eye luggages, they now also come with freebies. Welcome bloodshot eyes and dark circles into the party!

If you’re wondering why you’re welcomed by this kind of party after a night of little to no sleep, read up on the science behind it.

The lines and wrinkles you’ve been paranoid about seem to be a lot more obvious now. You appease yourself by repeating this in your head: “Hindi sila kita. Praning ka lang, tita!”

Most of the time it’s just paranoia, but when you’re sleep deprived, lines and wrinkles are actually put in the spotlight. This is because lack of sleep makes the body release more of the stress hormone called Coristol, which results to the demise of skin collagen.

Beauty sleep is legit, guys!

The next time you think your sleep-deprived friends are just being pabebe by saying “I think I’m sick” *cough*, don’t succumb to the temptation of calling them out.

Insufficient sleep weakens the immune system. In fact, people with less than seven hours of sleep are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to a virus as compared to those who get the healthy seven hours.

Science gives us an empirical (and annoying) excuse for the times we haven’t been at our best behavior after a night of no sleep.

According to this study, those who are sleep deprived are more likely to be grouchy and irritable because of the body’s weakened ability to regulate its emotions. When you only have five hours of sleep, you’ll easily be stressed, sad, angry or all of the above at the same time (yikes).

Your school or office is a much more confusing place when you don’t get enough sleep the night before. As if these places aren’t confusing enough, right? You find it harder to make decisions, to concentrate and to remember things.

According to Dr. Shalini Paruthi, these mental effects are immediately experienced by the sleep-deprived. Mareng Paruthi further explains that the brain first loses speed, followed by accuracy.

A later start to the work day is something most of us want, but don’t really bring up to our boss out of fear. What if you can actually back up this claim with science when you pitch it? That would have winning argument potential!

According to a study by Oxford University, imposing 9AM-5PM office hours is actually disadvantageous for performance, mood and health. This is because these hours don’t fit the natural body clock of people aged 16 to 54 (i.e. most college students and employees), so yay! Research shows that it would be more productive to start working at 10AM instead.

How’s tonight looking for you? If it’s going to be another all-nighter, share which of these statements hold true for you in the Comments Section below!