The snooze diaries: Seven signs you're not getting enough sleep! (Slideshow)

Do you feel fatigued even after a good amount of sleep? The reason cannot always be put down to laziness.

There are several other factors which could be the cause behind your persistent tiredness and sluggish demeanor.

It could also mean that you're probably not getting enough sleep. Check out seven signs that point toward lack of sleep, which will help you identify your own!

You're probably gorging on food and still not feeling satisfied enough. If you're feeling hungry throughout the day for no valid reason, your sleep, or lack thereof, could be the reason. A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research showed that sleep loss associated with activation of the stress system leads to increased hunger and hormonal changes that may lead to increased consumption of comfort food.

If you're working too much and are under a lot of pressure and stress at your work place, your sleeplessness could also be stress-induced. This might make you fall asleep early in the morning in order to complete your sleep quota.  

Do you wake up even before your alarm clock goes off? This could be due to the deterioration of the circadian rhythm. It happens mostly with age-related insomnia where night-time sleep becomes fragmented and you wake up early in the morning feeling fatigued.

If you're not able to come up with creative ideas at work and feel disoriented, it's your lack of sleep talking. Numerous studies have shown that sleep deprivation at night affects one's cognitive functions that influence attention and hamper vigilance. Especially among the youth, lack of sleep can lead to lower averages, increased risk of academic failure, compromised learning, impaired mood and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, etc.

If you wake up with your mouth feeling dry and fuzzy, it could be due to sleep deprivation. This often happens in people suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), wherein, wake up with a dry mouth as they don’t get enough air to breathe, have pauses in breathing and feel sleepy early in the morning.

Early morning headaches are sure signs of lack of sleep. Fragmented sleep or a sleep disorder could also be reasons for these headaches.

Lack of sleep can make you aggressive. Your emotional well-being can very well be affected too. If you find yourself on edge and getting angry too often over petty issues, it might be die to reduced quality and quantity of sleep.

-- By Udita Madan