Most people don’t drink enough water and they are in a constant state of dehydration. I definitely go through spurts when I consciously drink my water and other times when I just go on with my day and forget about how important it is. Many times I drink coffee in the morning and after that I don’t even feel thirsty so I “forget” about drinking water. I’m sure that I’m not alone in this bad habit of neglecting something so important. So I’ve found that I have to make it obvious to myself and I’ve been filling quart jars with the amount of water I should be drinking – 1/2 my body weight in ounces. This is a good way for me to insure that I’m getting enough water.

Symptoms of Dehydration

There are many symptoms of dehydration like headaches, low-energy, constipation, irritability, heart palpitations and dizziness to name a few. I even get jittery when I’m dehydrated. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, so it is very important that we are replenishing it so that our systems will function properly. Water is in our cells, tissues and organs so it is essential that we replace it for the sake of our health. When we are dehydrated our skin is dry and it loses the resilience that hydrated skin has. When it is pinched, it doesn’t bounce back to its normal state quickly. Also, our skin will begin to wrinkle faster if we are dehydrated.

Dehydration and Insomnia

Something that really surprised me recently, is that some insomnia can be caused from dehydration. I definitely am inconsistent with my sleeping habits so I am on a quest to figure out what I do during the day – what I eat and drink – that may be a key to my having good nights or bad nights. When it might seem like something mysterious that you can’t figure out, it may just be dehydration. Many times I make the effort not to drink coffee or anything caffeinated in the afternoon, or make sure I’m not eating chocolate or anything that I think may be affecting my sleep. But, one thing I sometimes neglect thinking about, is how much water I am drinking and this may be a factor in my sleeping issues.  I wanted to pass this on because you might know about other symptoms of dehydration, but you may not have known about this one just like I didn’t. I know that I can take water for granted but it is such a valuable part of our health and I don’t want to forget that.