User:TiredDmnc/sandbox

Sleep allows people to rest and re-energize for another day filled with interactions and tasks. If someone is stressed it is extremely important for them to get enough sleep so that they can think clearly[citation needed]. Unfortunately, chemical changes in the body caused by stress can make sleep a difficult thing. Glucocorticoids are released by the body in response to stress which can disrupt sleep

Immune mediation.
Observations have been made that there is an association between stress, sleep and Interleukin-6 proposing a possible mechanism for sleep disruption.

Sleep is regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus in responce to day and night cycles along with other hormones such as cortisol, growth hormone and melatonin. Cytokines are also thought to play a role: During both chronic and acute phase sleep deprivation there are increases in the pro-inflamatoy cytokine Interleukin-6 (IL-6). Not only is IL-6 influenced by the circadian rythm but its effectiveness is increased by sleep itself as there is an increase in serum IL-6 receptor during sleep. After periods of long sleep deprivation the first post-deprivation sleep shows a marked drop in IL-6 and an increase in Slow Wave Sleep suggesting that it may mediate recovery. When Human's are injected with exogenous IL-6 they display an increase in fatigue and other sickness behaviour.

This IL-6 increase is also observed during times of increased psychological stress

Napping during the day time has been shown to decrease IL-6 and reduce tiredness