There are times in your life when you're so caught up in routines that you feel like a robot. When the alarm sounds in the morning, and your body feels wooden.

However, after a moment's hesitation, you lumber into the shower and turn it on. You follow the steps in your routine like a robot.

Anyone can relate to this scenario, but people who aren't sleeping right may find themselves lost in a hazy fog, slow to accomplish menial tasks. Harmful sleep patterns make it difficult to escape the urge to live on autopilot.

In this post, we share questions you can ask as you review your health and sleep patterns by listening to your body.

Am I sleeping?

One sign things aren't right with your health is when you want to crawl back into bed to avoid the tasks of the day. Everyone experiences this feeling sometimes because home is a safe place. However, there's a good possibility that what's waiting for you in your daily routine isn't the problem.

Perhaps you aren't sleeping in amounts that fit your body's needs. Lack of sleep can cause a myriad of physiological issues like “inattention, irritability, hyperactivity, poor impulse control and difficulty multitasking, impaired memory, impaired math calculation skills.”

While one night of poor sleep is acceptable, a repeated pattern of sleep deprivation is not good for your health. Some people recognize this pattern and consult a sleep doctor to see if there's a medical explanation like sleep apnea.

Am I listening to my body?

Everyone should ask themselves this question, even if they have no health problems.

Honestly, if you ask this question of yourself right now, you might be afraid of the answer.

If you're listening to your body, you know what it needs. Assess whether you've had enough sleep the night before and if you should go to bed earlier tonight to restore yourself.

It's one thing to get sleep every night, which should be about seven to ten hours for most adults. It's another thing to spend time in your bed each night on "sleeping" but only to get a little bit of sleep.

Also, make daily decisions to help you to get to bed at the same time every night. Stop late night workouts, avoiding work commitments that get you home or in your hotel late, and leave social engagements at a reasonable hour because of your health matters to you.

Am I able to shut down my mind to sleep well?

Another sign you might not be living in the moment and listening to your body is your mind gets stuck in specific thought patterns. These could be negative and, when left unresolved, might cause symptoms of anxiety and depression.

If your mind feels like it cannot shut down, you can get stuck in the first two stages of sleep. When this occurs, you don't reach the deep sleep of the third and fourth stages of sleep.

Even after seven hours in bed, you wake up feeling sleep deprived. What's more, you rarely get to the fourth stage of sleep, which is when dreaming occurs. Throughout the day, you will have less control over many things that affect your success in life.

Am I awake?

If you find that some people in your life (co-workers, friends, relatives, romantic partners) are warning you to slow down, it's time to listen.

Some of us go through life half-asleep because we're wound so tight and afraid of change. We could not break our daily routines because it feels like everything would come crashing down if we took some time out. Furthermore, we aren't sure how we would pick up the pieces if we did.

Sometimes, what makes the most significant difference is learning to live in the moment and heeding signs that our body needs more rest.

Am I dealing with my sleep problem?

Learning how to listen to your body is something you must make time to do each day. If you aren't addressing a sleep problem, then take steps to get help now. Don't wait. If you or a loved one is suffering from sleep problems, delaying the process of changing your sleep patterns and daily schedule isn't wise.

The new year occurs at the beginning of winter, which is when people may feel more lonely, sad, or overworked and inclined to engage in poor habits, even destructive behaviors. Not sleeping well can make you feel depressed or anxious, which makes it challenging to complete most tasks. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a person who has insomnia is ten times more likely to develop depression.

What should I do?

Not being able to sleep is not something you can afford to ignore.

You may not realize, for example, people with undiagnosed sleep apnea may be suffering a lack of oxygen every time they attempt to sleep. Over time, they can suffer brain damage from their condition.

One study reported by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found brain damage caused by severe sleep apnea is reversible. The study reviewed neuro-imaging of the human brain in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea, which means their airway was blocked while they slept. This study was the first to show white matter brain damage could be reversed.