What is a common symptom of chronic stress affecting sleep?

A common symptom of chronic stress affecting sleep is insomnia. Chronic stress can lead to a hyper-arousal state, where an individual’s mind is constantly racing, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. This disruption in sleep patterns results in insomnia, which is characterized by difficulty in initiating sleep, maintaining sleep, or waking up too early and not being able to return to sleep.

In contrast, deep sleep is typically associated with restful sleep and is not a symptom of chronic stress, as stress tends to disrupt this phase of sleep. Increased melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake cycles, is often not observed under conditions of chronic stress, as stress can actually inhibit the natural production of melatonin. Frequent napping might seem like a coping mechanism for sleep deprivation, but it does not directly indicate a symptom of chronic stress impacting overall sleep quality in the same way that insomnia does.