We live in a world where stress is a direct side-effect of the lifestyle we lead. Due to this, many aspects of our lives are negatively affected by stress and one of those aspects includes our sleep and sleeping patterns. You may have noticed that you can’t seem to relax enough to fall asleep or that your mind is running a hundred miles per hour whenever you want to go to sleep. This can easily be related to stress. The inability to fall asleep is known as insomnia, a disorder that causes us to lose precious sleep.   The Connection Between Stress and Insomnia There are many different causes of insomnia, but stress is believed to be the main one. Stress and insomnia are closely related and can wreak havoc on your overall health. You can easily notice if the lack of sleep or inability to sleep is related to stress. Just follow your sleeping patterns and if you are able to fall asleep once some of the stress has been relieved – you have your answer. In this case, you will know that stress is, in fact, the cause of your insomnia. In order for us to function normally, we need to have at least 7-9 hours of sleep. And suffering from insomnia can seriously reduce this period and thus cause different health issues.   Physical and Mental Consequences of Both Stress and Insomnia Not getting enough sleep negatively affects both our mental and physical health. If you don’t get enough sleep you won’t be able to concentrate or function normally and due to this, your job will suffer just as well your life in general. Some of the most common physical and mental side-effects of insomnia include high blood pressure, depression, and other disorders and illnesses.   High Blood Pressure If the periods of your lack of sleeping are long, you should be worried. It’s believed that people who don’t get at least 6 hours of sleep are at risk of developing high blood pressure. Sleep helps regulate stress hormones and it keeps your nervous system healthy. That’s why your lack of sleep can affect your body’s ability to regulate stress and thus leads to high blood pressure. High blood pressure then leads to many serious problems such as heart diseases and other health issues.   Depression Stress and insomnia, when mixed together, can lead to depression. People who aren’t getting enough sleep become restless and anxious. Anxiety is a well-known trigger of depression. Stress, insomnia, and anxiety are all responsible for depression, and the relationship between all of these factors is much more complicated than it seems. People who don’t have trouble sleeping are at less risk of developing depression than those who have. That’s why treating insomnia can prevent the development of depression.   Teeth Grinding Other less serious but equally important physical effects that stress has on our health include teeth grinding and clenching. Teeth grinding is known to cause [...]