What is a physical effect of chronic stress?

Chronic stress has a significant impact on the body's physical health and can lead to various health issues, one of which is sleep disorders. When an individual experiences prolonged stress, it can disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to difficulties in falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restful sleep. This disruption often manifests as insomnia, nightmares, or other sleep-related problems. Chronic stress triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can interfere with the body's ability to relax and enter deep sleep stages.

While improving sleep quality, increasing energy, and enhancing focus might seem like positive outcomes or goals for someone managing stress, they do not typically result from chronic stress. Instead, these options highlight aspects that are either unattainable or counterproductive when one is under prolonged stress. Thus, identifying sleep disorders as a physical effect of chronic stress underscores the tangible consequences that sustained stress can have on overall well-being.