How Stress And Sleep Affect Each Other

The impact of stress on sleep:

• Stress can make it difficult to switch off, fall asleep, and get restful, uninterrupted sleep.
• Poor sleep can affect how your body and mind respond to stress, making everyday pressures feel harder to manage.
• Stress and poor sleep can feed into each other, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break.
• Simple wind-down habits can help your mind and body shift into a calmer state before bed.

Stress can creep into almost every part of your day. Whether it’s a busy period at work, a growing to-do list, or simply having a lot on your mind, sometimes it can be hard to switch off.

Sleep and stress are closely connected. Stress can make it harder to sleep, while poor sleep can make stress harder to manage1 2. Many people notice stress can affect how easily they fall asleep, stay asleep, or how rested they feel in the morning.

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the sleep-stress cycle, why the two can influence each other, and what may be happening with your nervous system along the way. 

How does stress affect sleep?

When you’re experiencing stress, your body’s response can make it harder to switch off and relax. You may feel mentally alert or wired at bedtime, have racing thoughts, or wake up throughout the night. 

A lot of this comes down to the body's stress system, known as the HPA axis. When activated, this system can create a heightened sense of arousal that makes falling asleep more difficult3. Cortisol, one of the main stress hormones, also plays a role. It typically follows its own daily rhythm, but sleep can interrupt that. Falling asleep tends to lower cortisol, while waking up tends to trigger a rise4. 

Stress may affect more than how quickly you fall asleep. Feeling more alert or on edge can also contribute to disrupted sleep throughout the night, which may leave you feeling less rested the following morning. This means you can spend enough time in bed but still feel like stress has affected the quality of your sleep. 

Why can stress make it harder to fall asleep?

As you fall asleep, your body typically relaxes, and your mind begins to quieten. When you’re stressed, you may find yourself lying in bed planning, problem-solving, or overthinking5. Instead of slowly drifting off, you may find yourself having intrusive, repetitive thoughts6.

Your physical body can also be affected when you can’t sleep due to stress. Your nervous system also has a role in how easily you transition into sleep7. If your body is more activated and in an alert state, it can be harder to feel calm, even if you’re physically tired7.

Can poor sleep increase stress?

The relationship between stress and sleep goes both ways. While stress impacts sleep, poor sleep can also make you more reactive to stress. 

A lack of sleep has been linked to a heightened stress response, including elevated cortisol levels, even when you’re resting8. Some people also find they experience stronger negative emotional reactions9, with research showing a lack of sleep can make minor triggers feel more anxiety-inducing10.

This can change how you experience an already stressful day. When you’re tired, everyday demands such as a busy workload, unexpected problem, or growing to-do list may feel harder to deal with than they otherwise would. Feeling more stressed throughout the day can make it difficult to unwind again that evening. 

How does sleep reduce stress?

Sleep is important for both mental and physical recovery. Getting enough good-quality sleep can support concentration, alertness, and emotional regulation, which can all influence how you respond to everyday challenges¹¹.

While a good night’s sleep won’t remove the source of stress, feeling well rested may leave you better equipped to deal with it. 

The connection between the nervous system and sleep

Quality sleep also supports nervous system recovery. Deep, slow-wave sleep supports this by helping the body shift into a calmer, more restful state⁷. 

Sleep quality can also influence how your body responds to stress. Some research suggests that well-rested people may respond differently to stressful situations compared with those who are sleep-deprived¹². 

How to calm the nervous system before bed

After a busy or stressful day, it can take time for your mind and body to shift into a more relaxed state. Creating some separation between the demands of the day and bedtime can help you slow down and prepare for sleep. A few simple habits can help make winding down part of your evening routine: 

• Creating a calming evening routine
• Gentle stretching or slow breathing exercises7 13
• Limiting stimulation before bed15
• Reducing screen exposure14
• Journalling or mindfulness16
• Creating a comfortable sleep environment

You don’t need to follow these habits perfectly every night. The idea is simply to give yourself some time to unwind before bed. If you find that stress is affecting your sleep significantly or is ongoing, speak with your doctor for support. 

Understanding the stress-sleep cycle

Stress and sleep can have a real influence on each other. While stress can make it harder to get the restful sleep you need, a poor night’s sleep can also leave you feeling less equipped to manage the pressures of the following day¹.

The good news is that supporting better sleep doesn’t have to mean getting everything right every night. Simple, realistic habits that help you unwind and relax can make a difference, particularly during stressful periods.

Want more? Check out articles like the relationship between stress and immune system health and a guide on sleep debt and how to pay it off on the Swisse Wellness Hub. 

References:

1. Sikirić, K., & Rijavec, M. (2025). The role of rumination and worry in the bidirectional relationship between stress and sleep quality in students. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12294785/ 
2. Gosadi, I. M., & Shnaimer, J. A. (2024). Association between depression, anxiety, and stress and sleep quality. Psychology Research and Behavior Management. https://www.dovepress.com/association-between-depression-anxiety-and-stress-and-sleep-quality-am-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM 
3. Nicolaides, N. C., Vgontzas, A. N., Kritikou, I., & Chrousos, G. (2020). HPA axis and sleep. In Endotext. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279071/ 
4. Balbo, M., Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (2010). Impact of sleep and its disturbances on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2010, 759234. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/759234 
5. Lemyre, A., Belzile, F., Landry, M., Bastien, C. H., & Beaudoin, L. P. (2020). Pre-sleep cognitive activity in adults: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 50, 101253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101253 
6. Wicklow, A., & Espie, C. A. (2000). Intrusive thoughts and their relationship to actigraphic measurement of sleep: Towards a cognitive model of insomnia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(7), 679–693. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7967(99)00136-9 
7. Jerath, R., Beveridge, C., & Barnes, V. A. (2019). Self-regulation of breathing as an adjunctive treatment of insomnia. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 780. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00780 
8. Minkel, J., Moreta, M., Muto, J., Htaik, O., Jones, C., Basner, M., & Dinges, D. (2014). Sleep deprivation potentiates HPA axis stress reactivity in healthy adults. Health Psychology, 33(11), 1430–1434. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24818608/ 
9. Wang, W., Zhu, Y., Yu, H., Wu, C., Li, T., Ji, C., Jiang, Y., & Ding, D. (2024). The impact of sleep quality on emotion regulation difficulties in adolescents: a chained mediation model involving daytime dysfunction, social exclusion, and self-control. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1862. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19400-1 
10. Zohar, D., et al. (2015). Losing neutrality: The neural basis of impaired emotional control without sleep. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26400948/ 
11. Hyndych, A., El-Abassi, R., & Mader, E. C. Jr. (2025). The role of sleep and the effects of sleep loss on cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes. Cureus, 17(5), e84232. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.84232 
12. Chu, B., Marwaha, K., Ayers, D., & Sanvictores, T. (2024). Physiology, stress reaction. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541120/ 
13. Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353 
14. Luna-Rangel, F. A., Gonzalez-Bedolla, B., Salazar-Ortega, M. J., Torres-Mancilla, X. M., & Martinez-Cadena, S. (2025). Efficacy of blue-light blocking glasses on actigraphic sleep outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled crossover trials. Frontiers in Neurology, 16, 1699303. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1699303
15. Johnson, D. (2023). A good night's sleep: Three strategies to rest, relax and restore energy. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 30, 100591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100591  
16. Rusch, H. L., Rosario, M., Levison, L. M., Olivera, A., Livingston, W. S., Wu, T., & Gill, J. M. (2019). The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1445(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13996