Dude, Where Are My Car Keys?
Like all of your body’s organs, the brain needs periods of rest to process information, refresh and regenerate itself. This is part of why we dream -- our brains are processing the information that we’ve gathered throughout the day during periods of rest. When we deny our brain the ability to do this, our short-term memory can be affected, meaning we’ll have trouble remembering where we put our purses or car keys, remembering whether we locked the door or closed the garage, and remembering our task lists for the day. On a normal day, we might have the memory of an elephant, but after a few nights without sleep, we wind up feeling more like Dory from Finding Nemo.
Your Lips Are Moving, But I Can’t Process What You’re Saying.
On a good day, you may be blessed with the gift of gab and be able to work a cocktail party like a boss, but after a night or two without sleep, you’re left feeling like Porky Pig or Yosemite Sam. Sleep deprivation affects your ability to hold a conversation. It also affects your ability to articulate words and has caused subjects to speak in monotone patterns and with flattened voices.
You’re Driving While Drowsy
If you’re sitting at the office after a night without sleep and zone out while staring at the computer screen or sitting through a painfully boring office meeting, that’s one thing. However, if you find yourself farther down the road than you remember being or can’t remember having made that last turn on your route, that’s a sign that you need to schedule a nap, stat. Lack of sleep itself is detrimental to your health, but when you struggle to stay awake while driving or performing a task that potentially could put you in danger, that’s much more than a sign of being sleepy; that’s a risk that’s not worth taking. While many of us tempt fate by downing large amounts of coffee or energy drinks on long road trips, it’s important to remember that the energy burst we get from a cup of coffee is short-lived, and it’s better to pull over and take a nap than risk the deadly consequences of falling asleep behind the wheel.