How Does Stress Affect Sleep?

We all know that feeling. That of laying your head on the pillow in the evening and suddenly feeling the hyperactivity of the mind and the tension of the body which prevent us from falling asleep. If one wonders how stress affects sleep, the answer is simple: in a negative way.

However, everyone experiences it in a particular way, with more or less intensity. There is the occasional stress, the stress of one-off issues that affects us more than necessary and leads to temporary sleep problems. But there are also more serious sleep disorders, such as insomnia linked to acute and persistent stress.

There is also another equally important aspect:  the e bad night rest retro feeds stress. We are faced with a reality as complex as it is particular that it is necessary to understand in depth. Especially since this phenomenon is increasing every day more among the population.

Stress affects sleep: 3 keys to know

It is no coincidence that anxiety and stress levels have increased in recent months. The effects of the current situation affect all segments of the population: children, adults and the elderly.

These psychological conditions, however, are not manifested exclusively by clear mental symptomatology. More complex physiological manifestations and alterations are also added.

Digestive problems, musculoskeletal pain, headaches and sleep disturbances are the most common factors. We can’t ignore one fact, however: how stress affects sleep can be particularly serious if we don’t deal with it.

Lack of sleep accumulated over time can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity… We are not facing a minor problem. Stress that is not taken care of affects our mental and physical health. So let’s see a series of data on this subject.

Tell me what is your stress type and i will tell you how you sleep

A study conducted by the universities of California and Eulji (Korea) showed an interesting fact. Until recently, problems with nighttime rest were associated with primary factors, such as apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, etc.

It has nevertheless been shown that psychosocial variables and stress have a significant impact on the quality of sleep. It is thus necessary to make a good psychological diagnosis beforehand. We know, for example, that people with post-traumatic stress disorder have poor night-time rest.

We can also suffer from what is called acute episodic stress. It is a condition related to a personality type more prone to worry. In this case, sleep problems will appear when the patient has to face a difficult situation.

In other words, stress and problems with nighttime rest have a direct relationship. However, we can experience it as something punctual in time (two or three weeks) or as something chronic. In these cases, they are more serious situations.

How does this association manifest itself?

The way stress affects sleep can be very diverse. There is not a single effect. In other words, insomnia is just one effect among many. The associated manifestations are very complex. Among them are the following:

• Difficulty falling asleep (between half an hour and two hours).
• Modification of sleep architecture. As we well know, the structure of sleep follows very specific phases. The aforementioned study tells us that stress shortens the REM phase, the phase of deep, restful sleep that is important for the brain.
• More awakenings or parasomnias throughout the night. It makes us wake up with a clear sense of not having rested.
• Higher number of nightmares and bad dreams, which increase anxiety.

• Appearance of bruxism. A research article published in the journal  Nature even tells us about “pandemic bruxism”, so common today.

Feedback from suffering

Lack of sleep accumulated over time increases psychological wear and tear and stress itself. The mental wear and tear is total because of this feedback. This is an extreme situation that we must not reach.

Stress Affects Counseling: Some Tips to Reduce Stress and Improve Sleep Hygiene

Stress is a part of life. It is a normal reaction we feel when external demands exceed our resources. At such times it is essential to make changes. We can start with the following:

• Identify our sources of stress and learn to manage them in a healthier way.
• Pay attention to our mental patterns.  How we deal with our worries determines how we feel.
• Take care of our daily routines : establish rest and leisure times, exercise and watch our diet.
• Creates r a nightly routine: turn off the laptop and the computer two hours before going to bed, relax with a bath and read a book. Relaxation and deep breathing techniques can also help.

• Always sleep at the same time.

So, and finally, it’s essential to keep one thing in mind: sometimes we just can’t handle everything. If the reality is beyond us, do not hesitate to seek specialized help. Sleeping well makes life better, but when the mind is trapped in the prison of stress, sleeping well is not easy.

Our thoughts

Toxic stress, inflicted from childhood, can have devastating consequences for a child’s future. We tackle the subject here.