Читать книгу Sleep: The secret to sleeping well and waking refreshed - Prof. Idzikowski Chris - Страница 75

This is by far the most common cause of insomnia, and can be short-term (caused, say, by the arrival of a new baby) or prolonged (juggling a career and family, or caring for someone who is ill).

Stress has been with us since ancient times, when our forebears used the natural ‘fight or flight’ response to deal with threatening situations such as attack. The causes of stress may be different now but the basic response is still there. ‘Fight or flight’ increases breathing rate, heart beat, and the production of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline; mental awareness is heightened and blood rushes to the muscles; the body is on red alert to deal with whatever crisis it is faced with. Doctors acknowledge that we all need some degree of fight or flight in our lives because it satisfies a primitive urge for survival. But prolonged stress can have damaging effects on both health and sleep. It is well documented that long-term stress can lead to anxiety and depression – two major sleep disruptors that can be the cause of many sleep-related disorders (see Chapter 6). Acknowledging when things have got out of hand and taking stress-relieving measures is the only solution (see Chapter 5).