The Link Between Sleep and Stress

Introduction

In America, over 70% of adults report experiencing stress daily, often leading to sleep disturbances. This issue is pervasive due to the fact that there is a bidirectional relationship between stress and sleep habits. For example, when stress disrupts sleep, it can lead to a vicious cycle where inadequate sleep worsens stress levels. Conversely, improving sleep quality can significantly reduce stress levels, creating a positive feedback loop that enhances overall well-being. Understanding the relationship between stress and sleep can be key to effectively managing both.

The Prevalence of Stress Issues in America

According to surveys by the American Psychological Association (APA):

• 77% of people regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress
• 44% of Americans reported experiencing moderate stress levels
• 18% of Americans reported experiencing high levels of stress.
• 48% of Americans feel their stress has increased over the past 5 years

The Prevalence of Sleep Issues in America

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The American Sleep Association:

• 35% of adults in the United States are not getting the recommended 7 or more hours of sleep per night
• 50-70 million adults in the U.S. have a sleep disorder, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome
• 30% of working adults reported that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities at least a few days each month

Statistics on How Stress and Sleep Mutually Influence Each Other

According to surveys done by the American Psychological Association and the National Sleep Foundation:

• 42% of adults who report feeling stressed say their sleep quality is fair or poor
• 21% of adults who say they feel stressed report feeling more stressed when they do not get enough sleep
• 45% of Americans report that stress has a negative impact on their sleep at least once a week
• 29% of employed adults say work-related stress affects their sleep

How Stress Negatively Impacts Sleep

Stress can negatively impact sleep quality and duration in a number of ways, including:

• Activating brain cells: Stress can activate neurons in the preoptic hypothalamus, which regulates sleep and body temperature, causing "microarousals" that interrupt sleep cycles.(1)
• Disrupting thought patterns: Stressful thoughts about responsibilities like work, family, or exams that continue while trying to fall asleep, will also disrupt sleep patterns. (2, 4, 5)
• Releasing hormones: Stress can trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that can raise heart rate and maintain a heightened state of arousal, which can make it harder to relax and fall asleep. (3) 
• Nervous system disregulation: Stress is involved in the relationship between sleep and metabolism through hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are associated with maladaptive changes in the HPA axis, leading to dysregulation between the nervous and endocrine systems, resulting in metabolic dysfunction such as increased appetite, weight gain, obesity, and insulin resistance. (4)

The HealthyCell gel supplement, Calm Mood, is designed to help reduce occasional stress and promote relaxation, which in turn can help support better sleep. It contains a blend of natural ingredients - such as L-Theanine, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Magnesium, GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan), B vitamins and Saffron - that work together to help reduce daily stress to improve overall well-being.

How Poor Sleep Contributes to Stress

Sleep deprivation and stress can have a reciprocal relationship, with one contributing to the other. Lack of sleep can lead to higher levels of stress, frustration, depression and anxiety as follows:

• Sleep deprivation causes a deterioration in attention, state of alertness and executive functions in general. (7)
• Sleep deprivation is also linked to an increase in blood pressure, stress hormone levels and a reduction in parasympathetic tone, which is associated with "rest and digest". (7)
• Sleep plays a key role in regulating emotions. Sleep improves our capacity to regulate emotions and plays an essential role in our ability to cope with emotional stress in everyday life. Lack of sleep makes us more emotionally aroused and sensitive to stressful stimuli and events. Sleep disturbance predicts the subsequent development of mental health issues, while the development of insomnia predicts psychopathology such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder after an acute stressful event. (8)

Healthy sleep repairs adaptive processing, functional brain activity, and the integrity of the medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala connections, promoting an individuals' overall well-being.

HealthyCell’s REM Sleep contains ingredients designed to support all four stages of sleep: 

• Falling asleep: Lemon Balm, Melatonin and GABA
• Regulating body temperature to prepare for deep sleep: Glycine, Calcium, Magnesium
• Deep sleep: Vitamin B6, L-Theanine
• REM sleep: 5HTP, GABA, Vitamin B6

The Science Behind Stress and Sleep

Stress and sleep are intricately linked through complex biological mechanisms, involving the nervous and the endocrine systems. The science behind this relationship most often focusses on the body’s primary stress hormone cortisol and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Under stress, the HPA axis triggers the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands. Cortisol helps the body respond to stress by increasing glucose availability, enhancing brain function, and suppressing non-essential functions. In normal physiology, cortisol levels temporarily spike upon waking, allowing you to wake-up and feel refreshed and as bedtime approaches, cortisol production reduces, helping the body prepare for sleep. When cortisol is chronically elevated, due to stress, including stress due to the lack of sleep, it impacts the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which oddly signals the adrenal gland to produce more cortisol. This excessively active HPA axis results in restless, fragmented sleep, less slow wave sleep, and an ongoing state of arousal that is anxiety-producing and sleep-depriving. Acute and chronic stress has also been shown to negatively alter the expression of GABA, Gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain that enables the body and mind to relax, fall asleep, and are involved in controlling the body’s sleep cycles.

Research suggests omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may improve cortisol levels in those who are deficient in Omega-3. (9). Additionally, L-theanine and magnesium, two natural supplements, have demonstrated benefits for sleep, by keeping cortisol levels in check, thereby helping to keep HPA-axis functioning at healthful levels, and thereby.(10, 11) L-theanine also promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness, and increases levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), serotonin, and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters that help regulate mood, sleep, and stress. Research has shown that supplementing with GABA not only helps to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, but it can also help people to fall asleep quickly, induce deep sleep, and increase non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. (12) 

Melatonin is another hormone involved in the science behind stress and sleep. Melatonin is produced in response to darkness in the pineal gland, which is located within the brain’s two hemispheres. It helps with the timing of the body’s circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and is directly responsible for promoting healthy sleep. Melatonin production increases in response to darkness, promoting sleepiness, and decreases in the presence of light, aiding wakefulness. Being exposed to light at night can block melatonin production. Additionally, stress and poor-quality sleep can negatively impact the body’s production of melatonin. It is vital to manage melatonin production to ensure proper sleep. Research shows that exogenous melatonin is effective in treating primary sleep disorders, such as the time it takes to fall asleep, as well as disorders associated with predictable patterns of brain activity that occur during sleep, such as rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep. (13)

When sleeping, a person will cycle broadly through two stages, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM), several times during a typical night, with increasingly longer, deeper REM periods occurring toward morning. NREM sleep has three stages (N1, N2, N3), with N3 being deep sleep, crucial for physical restoration. REM sleep is essential for cognitive functions like memory consolidation and mood regulation. REM sleep also helps regulate the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which are involved in mood regulation and stress response. A healthy sleep cycle includes a balance of both REM and NREM sleep stages which allows the brain to processes stress and emotional experiences sequentially across sleep stages. Initial NREM stages help in reducing physical and cognitive stress, while subsequent REM stages facilitate emotional processing and resolution. Disruptions in these patterns, otherwise known as sleep architecture, such as reduced REM or deep NREM sleep, can lead to sleep disorders and impaired physiological functions. Chronic stress leading to elevated cortisol levels can delay sleep onset and reduce the amount of deep sleep. Since the body needs deep sleep to help reduce cortisol levels, stress and a lack of deep sleep creates a vicious cycle where each factor exacerbates the other, leading to further disruptions to sleep architecture and potential long-term health consequences. By understanding the roles of REM and NREM sleep in stress recovery, individuals can better manage their sleep habits and stress levels to promote overall well-being.

The HealthyCell supplement, REM Sleep, is the only sleep formula that provides drug-free, non-habit-forming ingredients to support all four stages of sleep: NREM-1, NREM-2, NREM-3 (Delta Brainwave Sleep), and REM (Brain Restorative Sleep).The MicroGel™ technology ensures maximum absorption of these premium nutrients to help you fall asleep easily, stay asleep throughout the night, sleep deep, and achieve REM sleep, so you can wake up refreshed.

Practical Strategies to Better Manage Sleep and Stress

There are numerous practical strategies to better manage stress to improve your sleep and to better manage sleep to improve stress. Adapting the following techniques will lower cortisol levels, raise GABA, Melatonin and L-Theanine and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), and magnesium to help lower stress, improve one’s ability to fall asleep as well as with help staying asleep.

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. This can be especially helpful before bedtime.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques: Practice cognitive-behavioral techniques to challenge and change negative thought patterns that contribute to stress.
• Meditation: Regular meditation can help calm the mind, reduce stress, anxiety, and improve sleep quality.
• Journaling: Writing down thoughts and worries during the day and before bed may help to clear your mind. Keeping a journal can help with processing emotions and reducing anxiety.
• Social Support: Maintain strong social connections. Talking to friends or family members about your stressors can provide emotional support and relief.
• Stress Management: Plan and organize your day to reduce last-minute stressors. Break tasks into small, manageable chunks. Prioritize important activities daily.

• Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity, such as walking, jogging, yoga, or strength training can help reduce stress hormones, like cortisol, and improve sleep by promoting deeper sleep stages. 
• Exercise Timing: Keep in mind that exercise too close to bedtime can have a stimulating effect and make it harder to fall asleep. Aim to exercise earlier in the day

• Healthy Diet: Consume a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, green tea, and lean proteins which contain L-theanine, magnesium, GABA, and 5-HTP, the pre-cursor to serotonin. Include mood-boosting spices, like saffron. Avoid heavy, rich or spicy meals close to bedtime.
• Hydration: The key to hydration at night without excessive urination is drinking enough water during the day to avoid dehydration at night. Aim to limit intake of fluid 90-minutes before bedtime to ensure hydration without negatively impacting sleep. 
• Avoid Stimulants: Limit stimulants, like caffeine and nicotine, especially in the afternoon and evening, as they can interfere with sleep.
• Moderate Alcohol: While alcohol might help you fall asleep initially, it can disrupt sleep later in the night. Limit alcohol consumption, particularly close to bedtime.

• Sleep Environment: Create a sleep-conducive environment by ensuring your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Use blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine if necessary.
• Comfortable Bed: Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows that support your sleep posture and preferences.

• Sleep Schedule: Stick to a bedtime routine. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) and can improve sleep consistency.
• Pre-Bedtime Routine: Establish a relaxing pre-bedtime routine, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing gentle yoga, to signal your body that it’s time to wind down.

• Limit Screen Time: Reduce exposure to screens (phones, tablets, computers) at least one hour before bedtime. 
• Blue Light Filters: The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with melatonin production and disrupt sleep. Employ blue light filters or “night mode” settings on electronic devices if you must use them in the evening.

• Therapy: Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic insomnia. CBT for insomnia can help address the thoughts and behaviors that disrupt sleep.
• Medical Consultation: Consult a healthcare professional if stress and sleep problems persist. They can help identify underlying issues and recommend appropriate treatments, including medication if necessary.

• Consider supporting your body’s natural stress response mechanisms to promote relaxation. The HealthyCell supplement, Calm Mood, combines a blend of non-drowsy neuro-nutrients that support a sense of calm by relaxing your nervous system, while supporting neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine, to maintain healthy cortisol levels and support healthy stress levels.
• Consider taking a high-quality natural sleep supplement.  The HealthyCell supplement, REM Sleep, is a sleep aid supplement designed to support all four stages of sleep.

Conclusion

It is important to understand the relationship between stress and sleep since stress management and sleep are so very closely tied to overall health. Research unequivocally shows the strong relationship among emotional, mental and physical health, stress and sleep. Anxiety and stress can interfere with the ability to fall asleep, as well as sleep quality and duration. Similarly, a lack of sleep can lead to higher levels of stress, frustration, stress and anxiety. Effectively managing both is crucial due to how they are reciprocally intertwined, each significantly affecting the other. The above strategies provide excellent guidance, but since individual responses to lifestyle changes, dietary and supplement interventions may vary, consulting with a healthcare professional is advisable for a more personalized treatment plan. Similarly, when considering high quality products like the HealthyCell's Calm Mood and REM Sleep it is crucial to approach with an informed and consultative mindset. With proper guidance, you can take proactive steps to support your body’s natural stress response, lower stress and anxiety levels, and achieve better sleep. By effectively managing stress and ensuring quality sleep, you can significantly enhance your overall health and well-being, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life. 

References

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