Why do we become pale when we don't sleep (or maybe it's just me)?

I would have to say lack of blood flow. Apparently, if you eat healthy and you get plenty of sleep your skin will be darker. If you sleep very little and eat poorly your blood cant circulate properly and it will cause you too look pale or sickly.

Hmm, I didn’t know sleep had anything to do with blood flow

When we sleep its like plugging your phone in to charge. Its how we rejuvenate. Its how the skin cells keep growing and how our bodies restore. If you run too long on empty, you’re immune system will begin to decline dramatically, you’re cognative thought will decrease, your motor skills will begin to fail…our brains need that little bit of lapse of consciousness to restore. Yeah, people speculate on how much sleep your body really needs, but personally i think its all relative.

As an example, i’m in the military and i had to work 12-hour shifts 7pm to 7am from january until the end of june. i have had tonsilitis, the flu, two really bad colds, and an adverse reaction to light where my eyes would burn horribly and it would give me intense headaches. i was virtually a “vampire” (minus the blood drinking :P ) they let me go to day shift and honestly in the past four days i have not felt this good as i have since before january. i had three days to recover my traumatic sleep pattern and i was partially successful in sleeping when the sun went down. i feel more energized and more human again.

i have never valued sleep as much as i do now. :)

i’m glad ya feeling better :)

thanks. hopefully i answered your question. :)

you did