Why Does Stress Make It Hard to Fall Asleep?
Stress makes it hard to fall asleep because it keeps your nervous system in an alert state. Elevated stress hormones like cortisol signal your brain to stay awake, even when your body is tired.
Stress activates the body’s threat response
When you’re stressed, your body enters a state designed for survival — not rest. Heart rate increases, muscles stay tense, and the brain remains hyper-aware of potential threats.
Cortisol and melatonin work in opposition
Cortisol naturally declines in the evening to allow melatonin to rise. Chronic stress disrupts this balance by keeping cortisol elevated at night.
- High cortisol delays sleep onset
- Melatonin release becomes blunted
- Sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented
Why stress makes your mind race at night
Stress increases mental hyperarousal — the feeling that your thoughts won’t slow down. This makes it difficult to transition from wakefulness into sleep, even if you feel physically exhausted.
Acute vs chronic stress and sleep
Short-term stress may delay sleep occasionally. Chronic stress, however, can retrain the nervous system to associate bedtime with alertness instead of recovery.
Quick FAQs
This usually reflects elevated stress hormones keeping your brain alert while your body is fatigued.
Yes. Persistent stress can interfere with sleep onset, sleep depth, and overall sleep quality.
It can. Physiological stress may still be present even when you’re not consciously anxious.
