Stress and stress hormones at a glance

Family, work and everyday duties – more than two thirds of Germans feel stressed in their everyday lives and suffer from the negative consequences for their health, well-being and sleep. But when do we actually feel stress? And what exactly happens in our body when we feel stressed?

Table of contents

1. What is stress?
1. This is what happens when the body is stressed
2. triggers for stress
3. consequences of chronic stress
2. The most important stress hormones at a glance
   1. The stress hormone cortisol
   2. The stress hormone noradrenaline
   3. The stress hormone adrenaline
3. Stress & Sleep

1. What is stress?

This is what happens when the body is stressed

Stress is actually a completely natural and initially positive reaction of our body to a negative stimulus in order to be able to cope with situations of exceptional stress. Our brain then signals to the body that it should prepare for acute stress and releases increased amounts of the neurotransmitters known as stress hormones: cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline. They ensure that more energy reserves are made available and our entire organism prepares to perform at its best. Among other things, blood sugar levels and blood pressure rise, breathing speeds up and our senses are put on alert so that performance, alertness and attention are increased.

The Effects of Stress at a Glance

• Accelerated breathing
• Increasing pulse and blood pressure
• Increased blood sugar production
• Increased oxygen transport to the muscles
• Increased blood flow and muscle tension
• Increased release of messenger substances to strengthen the immune system
• reduction in digestive and sexual function

triggers for stress

Stress can arise in a wide variety of situations and can be caused by both physical and psychological stimuli. When and how strongly our body reacts to a stressful situation depends on our personal stress resistance and varies from person to person. Stress does not only arise in unpleasant or negative situations. Possible triggers include, for example, severe physical or mental stress, accidents and injuries, but also illnesses and infections or low blood sugar levels.

Consequences & Damages of Chronic Stress

Stress also occurs in everyday situations, for example when playing sports, and helps us to withstand a high level of stress in an acute "dangerous situation". A permanently high level of stress, on the other hand, is detrimental to mental and physical health. Stress hormones are then constantly released and the body is kept in a state of alert, which represents a permanent strain on the cardiovascular system and also affects many other bodily processes. According to experts, this quickly leads to sleep disorders and depression and other health problems. And this despite the fact that sleep is crucial, especially after a pronounced stress reaction, for the body and mind to recover sufficiently from the strain, replenish energy reserves and normalize bodily functions.

Consequences of chronic stress at a glance

• high blood pressure
• digestive problems
• Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases
• migraine & tension headaches
• sleep disorders
• Weakened immune system
• depression

2. The most important stress hormones

When we detect threatening stimuli, also known as "stressors," the nervous system is stimulated and the release of stress hormones is triggered in a kind of chain reaction.

#1 The stress hormone cortisol

The most well-known and most important stress hormone is cortisol, which is produced in the adrenal cortex. Among other things, it influences blood sugar, fat metabolism and has an anti-inflammatory effect. When stressed, the hormone's main task is to activate the metabolism in order to mobilize energy reserves and provide energy in the form of glucose. Cortisol therefore acts like a kind of stimulant that makes us alert and efficient in the short term and also has a certain control function in the interaction of stress hormones, because it regulates the release of noradrenaline and adrenaline.

The Effect of Cortisol on Stress

• Increases energy supply, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and respiratory rate as well as alertness and body temperature
• Reduces the sensation of pain, inhibits inflammatory processes

The cortisol level in the blood actually follows a natural daily rhythm, falling to a minimum at night and rising again in the early morning hours to initiate the waking process and wake us up. Acute and especially chronic stress disrupts this natural process and leads to an unnaturally high cortisol level in the blood. This also affects the synthesis of the sleep hormone melatonin, which ensures a regulated sleep rhythm disturbed and sleep problems promoted.

#2 Noradrenaline

noradrenaline activates the part of the nervous system that regulates the stress response and is an important basis for the formation of adrenaline. Among other things, it leads to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate and, in conjunction with the other stress hormones, supports an increase in blood sugar and oxygen supply in the body and brain. As a result of a stress response, noradrenaline is therefore crucially involved in a rapid increase in attention, alertness and motivation, increases the willingness to perform and has a positive effect on our motor skills.

The Effect of Noradrenaline on Stress

• Increase in blood sugar levels, heart rate and blood pressure as well as increasing oxygen supply, attention, alertness and concentration
• Improves performance and influences motor skills

#3 Adrenaline

Adrenaline is formed from the precursor noradrenaline and has an activating effect on numerous bodily functions. For example, adrenaline increases breathing volume, blood pressure and the performance of the heart in order to quickly provide more oxygen to the muscles in particular and to increase mental and physical activity. It supports the supply of energy by increasing blood sugar levels and helps to quickly reduce less important bodily functions such as gastrointestinal activity or libido.

The Effect of Adrenaline on Stress

• Expansion of the airways and bronchi, increase in blood pressure & blood sugar levels
• inhibition of digestion and sexual function

3. Stress & Sleep

Stress and psychological strain are among the most common causes of difficulty falling asleepAs long as our body is under stress and on alert, the entire organism is running at full speed to provide energy for the extraordinary stress. This also affects other areas of the metabolism and hormone balance and thus also influences our sleeping behavior.

In particular, the hormone cortisol, which is active in chronic stress, also plays an important role in regulating our sleep-wake rhythm and functions as a kind of counterpart to the well-known sleep hormone melatoninMelatonin makes us tired in the evening and prepares the body for the resting phase of sleep. Overnight, the melatonin level drops and our body produces more cortisol, which is then responsible for us becoming active again and waking up in the morning after sleeping.

A permanently elevated cortisol level due to stress, or especially when it rises before going to bed, activates our body at the exact moment when it actually needs to rest. This often leads to problems falling asleep and promotes sleep and concentration disorders, which in turn have a negative effect on sleep and its important function for health, well-being and performance. This quickly creates a vicious circle because the body is constantly under tension due to constant stress and the much-needed rest is also missing.

In order to sleep well and stay healthy, we should reduce stress, especially in the evening, and at the same time, especially in stressful phases of life, make sure not to neglect sleep and give our body enough time to recover.

4. Conclusion

• Stress is the natural reaction to extreme physical or mental strain and activates the stress hormones cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline via the nervous system in order to make the body more efficient in the short term.

• Stress leads to an increase in blood sugar levels and blood pressure, the activation of the cardiovascular system, breathing speeds up and all senses are put on alert so that performance, alertness and attention are increased.

• Chronic stress puts the body under constant strain, harms health and well-being and can lead to sleep disorders and depression.

• The stress hormones cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline work together and primarily serve to release energy reserves in the body and brain.