• 1Manage Your Stress (VIDEO)
  • 2What Is Stress?
  • 3Fight Or Flight
  • 4Stress vs. Rest
  • 5The Stress Response
  • 6Stressed Out! Signs & Symptoms
  • 7Chronic Stress
  • 8Stress Takes a Toll
  • 9Stress Harms the Heart & Blood Vessels
  • 10Stress & The Growing Brain
  • 11Stress Harms the Brain & Nerves
  • 12Stress Harms the Immune System
  • 13Stress Causes Psychological Problems
  • 14Stress & Epigenetics
  • 15Your Genes Are Affected by Stress
  • 16Inheriting Stress
  • 17Stress & Aging
  • 18Stress Makes You Age Faster
  • 19How Stressed Out Are You?
  • 20Coping with Stress
  • 21Beat Stress with Friendship & Community
  • 22Beat Stress with Healthier Foods
  • 23Beat Stress with Better Sleep Habits
  • 24Beat Stress with Exercise
  • 25Meditation
  • 26Beat Stress with Mindful Awareness
CHAPTER 23

Beat Stress with Better Sleep Habits

Getting enough deep sleep keeps your stress hormones in balance

We need sleep to cope with stress. Even if we miss a few hours of sleep one night, our natural stress response is affected, and our cortisol levels are higher than usual the next day. In one study, people deprived of sleep for 32 hours had a 45% increase in cortisol! Sleep has also been shown to help people rebound from stressful experiences.

If you are over 18, aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night— 8 or 9 hours, if you don't feel alert and energized when you wake up. If you have trouble sleeping, develop a nightly routine of easing into sleep with soothing activities. Try to stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up time every day.