Performance at work or school may suffer. You may feel tired, irritable, or anxious during the day. Sleep helps to process your thoughts from the day as well as store memories, so a lack of good-quality sleep can lead to difficulty focusing and thinking clearly. Because of the public health burden of poor sleep health, achieving sufficient sleep in children and adults was included as a goal in the Healthy People 2020 goals. About 40% of adults report unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once a month, and up to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep problems. Short sleep duration in adults is defined as less than 7 hours of sleep in 24 hours. Levels of ACTH tend to be higher in people who have insomnia.Ībout one-third of American adults do not get enough sleep each night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If one experiences prolonged or chronic stress, the body releases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn releases cortisol. These are secreted in response to stress and cause the body to be awake and alert. Hormones that counteract sleep include norepinephrine, adrenaline, histamine, and cortisol.The brain releases this chemical during daylight but also uses it to form melatonin at night. Serotonin, the body’s “feel-good” chemical, is a neurotransmitter associated with both sleep and being awake.If we are exposed to too much artificial light (such as the blue light emitted from smartphones or televisions) late at night, less melatonin may be released making it harder to fall asleep. Sunlight or exposure to light inhibits the production of melatonin and increases the release of cortisol, which awakens us. It travels to cells to tell the body to sleep. ![]()
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