Lower stress threshold. When you’re tired, routine activities, such as stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work, walking the dog or picking up the house can feel like overwhelming tasks.
Impaired memory. Deep sleep fosters the formation of connections between cells, and REM sleep aids in memory formation. Students considering pulling an all-nighter to study for that big exam might do better to get some sleep.
Trouble concentrating. When you’re dragging yourself through the day, it’s hard to stay alert and focused. This is why we don’t want our pilots and surgeons to lose too much sleep. Sleep-deprived people have trouble focusing on tasks and overestimate their performance.