11 Creepy Things Your Body Does After Just One Night Of Bad Sleep

There's a reason why you feel sick and rundown after a night of poor sleep. "A good night’s rest helps your immune system neutralize germs to which you may have been exposed," Dr. Smith says. "When you don’t get enough sleep, your body’s defense system is weakened. This leaves you open to catching an illness and makes it more difficult for you to recover if you do get sick."

Setting everyday hunger aside, if you go a night without good sleep, you might notice that you feel positively insatiable the following day.

"Both leptin, the hormone that effects feeling full, and ghrelin, the hormone that regulates appetite, are impacted by a night of poor sleep," sleep expert Dr. Jeff Rodgers, DMD, D-ABDSM, D-ASBA, tells Bustle. "After one night of missed sleep, you will be hungrier and not feel as full."

Ever notice how your skin feels dry and looks dull after a night of poor sleep? That's because "your body uses sleep to remove toxins from your skin," Matthew Ross, COO of My Slumber Yard, tells Bustle. "As such, if you don't sleep, your skin may start to show signs of [...] blotchiness [...] bumps, and flakes."

Sleep has a profound impact on a person's emotional wellbeing, Dr. Smith says. So if you go without, you may notice that you feel extra cranky and irritable the following day.

"Without the proper amount of sleep, it is hard for people to think rationally and regulate their emotions," Dr. Smith says. "People who don’t spend enough time at total rest tend to become grumpy and emotionally erratic."

When you're sleepy, you'll be more prone to dropping things, tripping, and generally feeling more clumsy. But even more importantly, "people who don’t get the recommended amount of sleep are more likely to drive drowsy and increase their chances of getting into a car accident," Dr. Smith says. "Tired drivers experience slowed reaction times and can even have a 'microsleep' while behind the wheel." That's why it's important to talk to your doctor if poor sleep happens frequently for you.

"Quality sleep is crucial to memory formation," Dr. Smith says. "While the body is at rest, the brain processes information captured throughout the day and turns it into memories."

That's why, if you go a night without good sleep, you may feel foggy and "off" the next day. "Without proper sleep each night, your brain isn’t able to properly sort through and store all of your experiences, and your memory may be affected," he says.

"Sleep, and the lack thereof, has profound effects on your brain," Terry Cralle, RN, clinical sleep educator and sleep consultant for Saatva, tells Bustle. "In fact, one recent study found that after just one night of poor sleep, participants had elevated levels of beta-amyloid in their brains. This is important because beta-amyloid is a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease."

While you won't have a problem after just one night of bad sleep, it is important to keep it from turning into a habit, as chronic sleep deprivation may increase your risk. "Not only is getting enough sleep crucial to memory formation, but it also helps us fight off dementia," Cralle says.

A lack of sleep can also mess with your endocrine system, which involves hormones that regulate everything from growth to appetite, to your sex drive, Cralle says. So if you aren't in the mood the following day, this may help explain why.

"Cognitive performance, like the ability to problem-solve in a timely, creative, and efficient manner, can be impaired as a result of a sleepless night," sleep expert and licensed psychologist Vanessa H. Roddenberry, PhD, tells Bustle. And if you've ever tried to make a decision while tired, you likely already know this to be true.

Here's why it happens: "Lack of sleep hampers communication between the brain’s frontal lobes," Dr. Roddenberry asys. "When the lobes can’t communicate, it’s difficult to sustain attention."

"Research indicates that tissue-damaging inflammation can occur even after just one night of little or no sleep," Chris Brantner, sleep expert and founder of SleepZoo, tells Bustle. That's why, as soon as possible, you'll want to get back to your usual sleep routine.

Even after just one night of bad sleep, you can experience more stress-related issues in your body. "Cortisol rises when you lose sleep," Brantner says. "This has a negative impact on stress, which can leave you feeling anxious and agitated the following day."

The important thing to remember, though, is that it's not the end of the world. "So often, when someone has a sleepless night, and experiences one of these 'weird' results, they panic and start to make drastic behavioral changes that they hope will help them sleep," Dr. Roddenberry says. "The great irony is that often the things we do to try to get more sleep backfire and actually end up hurting our chances for getting a good night’s rest."

You don't, for example, want to take a bunch of naps or go to bed extra early to make up for it. Instead, stay awake until your usual bedtime the following night, Dr. Roddenberry says, and try to sleep well. Then, wake up at your usual time in the morning, and you should be back on track.