Research

Hormonal

Impaired sleep acts as a stressor itself, increasing levels of traditional stress markers like cortisol and exacerbating the effects of initial stress.

Poor sleep doesn't just make you tired; it puts your body in a physiological state similar to being stressed (high cortisol, inflammation). Prioritizing sleep is therefore a direct way to lower your overall stress burden.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Shortened or disturbed sleep causes increases in levels of traditional stress markers (eg, cortisol) and may thus exacerbate the effects of stress.
Torbjörn Åkerstedt · Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health · 2006

Why this rating

Supported by multiple studies showing physiological changes post-sleep loss.

Source

Psychosocial stress and impaired sleep

Torbjörn Åkerstedt · Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health · 2006

DOI 10.5271/sjweh.1054

narrative_reviewCited 572×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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