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Losing Sleep, Gaining Pounds, Losing My Mind, Gaining Wrinkles, Dark Eye Bags And More

by Yanna

I cannot believe that my losing sleep is actually making me gain pounds! I started doing the night shift, which basically runs from 11 pm to 6 am. I thought the hard part would be getting myself to stay up all night, turns out, it's the going to sleep after work.


To help me get through the night, I have about 2-3 cups of coffee. So when it's time to sleep, my eyes just won't shut. This has been going on for about 3 months now. I get by with about 2 hours of sleep--- broken into naps here and there, and I just feel so tired all the time.

I'm cranky, not only because I lack sleep, but because my favorite jeans won't fit anymore. Don't even let me get started on the eye bags. I look terrible. I feel terrible. I read on a site that sleep, be it lack of or too much, even ages you. And trust me, I feel like a look years older too.

Thankfully, this hasn't affected work seriously, however, I do feel it physically, and personally. My husband has been keeping his mouth shut, but I can see that he is really close to blowing up. I can't help but be so darn moody and take it out on him.

I seriously need to do something, but quitting my job is out of the question.

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About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?


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Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

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The Stanford Sleep Book

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Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

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The Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

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