Neuroscientist Dr. Haru Cuts Through the Noise - Vol. 6 Brain's Warning: Don't Overlook Sleep Stress!
Are you feeling stressed about work or relationships? If you're relying on sleep to relieve stress, but it's just raising your stress hormones, that's counterproductive. Dr. Haru, a neuroscientist, explains the relationship between sleep deprivation and stress.
Sleep-deprived brains raise stress hormones!
It's a universal truth that when you're stressed, you can't sleep at night. To sleep well, you need to manage stress effectively. But did you know that lack of sleep itself can be a cause of stress?
Our stress response begins with the secretion of stress hormones from the brain, followed by a chain reaction in the body that makes us feel stressed. Various studies have investigated the impact of sleep on stress. For example, a paper published in the journal Sleep in 1997 reported that just one night of sleep deprivation can lead to elevated stress hormones the next morning.
When sleep deprivation continues for a long time, not just one night, the increase in stress levels becomes even more serious. Patients with insomnia have higher levels of stress hormones throughout the day compared to people who get enough sleep. Furthermore, among insomnia patients, those with more severe symptoms have been shown to have higher levels of stress hormones.
Lack of sleep alone can cause irritability and mood swings. If stress is added to that, a fulfilling mental life may be compromised. Stress can further cause insomnia, and insomnia can further increase stress levels, creating a vicious cycle. During stressful days, it's especially important to get enough sleep at night to forget about your worries.
Dr. Haru's Profile:
Haruhisa Okawa
Graduated from the University of Tokyo. Received Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California.
Subsequently, worked as a neuroscientist at the University of Washington for approximately seven years.
After that, worked as a project manager for neurological projects at a foreign pharmaceutical consulting firm.
Currently working for a foreign pharmaceutical company, belonging to the central nervous system department.
View mattresses that improve sleep stress
References:
- The Book That Answers the Whys of Sleep, Masako Okawa, Kiyohisa Takahashi, Life Science
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, Matthew Walker, SB Creative
- Cespuglio R et al. (2005) Energy Processes Underlying the Sleep Wake Cycle; Chapter 1 in Parmeggiani & Velluti.
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- Gümüştekín K et al. (2004). Effects of sleep deprivation, nicotine, and selenium on wound healing in rats. International Journal of Neuroscience. 114(11): 1433–1442
- Suka M et al. (2003) Persistent insomnia is a predictor of hypertension in Japanese male workers. J Occup Health.45(6):344-50.
- Lucey BP et al. (2019) Reduced non-rapid eye movement sleep is associated with tau pathology in early Alzheimer’s disease. Science Translational Medicine
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- Leproult R et al. (1997) Sleep loss results in an elevation of cortisol levels the next evening. Sleep. 20: 865-870.
- Vgontzas AN et al. (2001) Chronic insomnia is associated with nyctohemeral activation of the hypothalamic-pituatary-adrenal axis: clinical implications. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 86(8): 3787-3794.
- Knutson KL, Van Cauter E. (2008) Associations between sleep loss and increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1129:287-304
