Why Stress has a Devastating Effect on Sleep

Stress has a profound effect on our ability to sleep well. From laying awake with worries on our mind, to the physiological changes within us, read on to understand why stress has a devastating effect on sleep.

Why Stress has a Devastating Effect on Sleep

Stress is something we all encounter at sometime in our lives. Whether it is short-term or we are living with chronic stress, it can have such an impact on how we sleep.

There are many causes of stress – from simple frustrations if we are struggling to get something done, to serious stressful life events, such as a death within the family. Stress can certainly rear up and knock us sideways at any time, usually when we least expect it.

External Stressors that Affect Sleep

In this modern age, our world is faster paced than it’s ever been. With the advancement in technology, we can be contacted instantly at any time and we are consuming huge amounts of information at the click of a button. We have become used to this way of living, but it does add an extra layer of stress that we once didn’t have.

This stress, along with the inability to switch off due to the devices we keep close to us, is impacting our sleep more and more.

But of course, advancement in technology is just one stressor we are encountering nowadays.

There are many more, including demands with workload, pressures within our family life, or worldwide events that affect us.

Physiological Effects

In addition to external stressors affecting our sleep, on a physiological level, stress can cause changes within our bodies. When we are under stress, we release the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol promotes wakefulness, a positive effect for short bursts of energy when we need it. But this can have a devastating effect on sleep, when we are living with long-term stress.

Poor sleep quality, of course, has its own effects on the body, including weakened immunity, fatigue, and poor mental and physical health.

Insomnia and sleep deprivation in themselves cause stress and anxiety, so you can imagine the cycle that is created when stress causes poor sleep and poor sleep causes stress.

Mindset

Mindset plays a role in almost everything, and very much influences how we feel about ourselves and various situations within our lives. When it comes to stress, we can actually make it worse just by the way we perceive or respond to it.

It’s easy to fall into a negative mindset when we are dealing with stressful times. However, if we try to find positives where we can and respond in a calm manner, this can help hugely in the management of stress. Having a positive mindset can also support better quality sleep.

So, you can see how stress can have a devastating effect on sleep. If you are finding yourself in a poor sleep and stress cycle, I recommend you take one day at a time and one step at a time to gradually relieve the stress and improve the quality of your sleep, your health and your wellbeing.

From Stress to Sweet Dreams