Lack of Sleep and Stress

Getting a good night’s sleep can have a hugely positive impact on our health, decreasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Getting enough sleep can boost your mood and cleanse your skin.

It is normal to have some stress, but too much of it can be detrimental to your health. Stress can be caused by various internal and environmental factors, but it’s largely impacted by how much sleep you get. The number of overly-stressed adults are growing, that is why getting enough sleep has become extremely important.

Herewith a list of how sleep can affect your stress levels, and how to make sure you consistently get a good night’s rest.

Cortisol Levels

The lack of sleep can cause the body to react as if in distress, releasing more of the stress hormone called cortisol. Too much cortisol can lead to weight gain and cardiovascular issues over time. Getting less than five hours sleep a night has been linked to cortisol-related issues like high blood pressure.

Getting enough sleep can significantly decrease cortisol levels and restore balance to the body. Try and get at least 7 to 9 hours sleep a night to avoid the rise in hormone levels and to reduce existing feelings of stress and anxiety.

Immune System

Sleep is an essential aspect of a stress-free life. Getting enough sleep allows the body to regulate and improve the immune system. Being sick is not fun and adds a lot of burden to an already busy body. When you sleep your body takes stock of itself and produces substances to fight infection and defend against illness. A healthy immune system can improve your response to illness and shorten the time it takes to recover from it.

Anxiety

It has been found that losing too much sleep can activate the region of the brain that controls emotional processing and worry. People with an anxiety disorder are more likely to feel the mental effects when they don’t get sufficient rest, it can also have an effect on those without an anxiety disorder. Getting a good night’s sleep can boost your outlook, temperament and mood.

Sleep and stress go hand in hand, a stressed-out mind can keep you up all night and as discussed, a lack of sleep can raise anxiety levels. Doctors recommend that you get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, if you don’t its time to change your sleep routine and environment.

A balanced sleep schedule will reduce stress and improve your health.