Based on my experience, whenever I am feeling stressed, I cannot sleep that easily. Being faced with a stressful situation, I think that my body is having this “flight or fight” reaction which is why I am experiencing this change. As a result of this response/reaction, my heart rate would evidently increase.
Having a somewhat deep understanding of the endocrine system, I realized why I am restless when I am stressed. When I am stressed, my cortisol—primary stress hormones-increases. Consequently, with a higher cortisol level, comes a lower melatonin level; when cortisol is high, melatonin should be low—showing an inverse relationship (Anderson, 2019). This explains my uneasiness. This serves as my body’s “flight or fight” response to the stressful situation that I am in.
My increased heart rate could be explained by the adrenal glands' production of catecholamines, especially epinephrine or adrenaline. This hormone (adrenaline) triggers my body with a “flight or fight” response. This hormone redirects blood, by contracting blood vessels, to the heart and other major muscle groups. This helps me to handle short-term stress.
After being stressed, my body would feel exhausted and sleepy. This is primarily because I experienced a hormonal rush (“Does Anxiety Make You Tired?”). The sudden crash of hormones makes me want to sleep and avoid interaction with other people. Sometimes, even after sleeping, I would still feel exhausted from the stress that I experienced.
References:
Does Anxiety Make You Tired? (2021, January 12). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/can-having-anxiety-make-you-feel-tired
Anderson, L. (2019, November 25). Melatonin and Cortisol. Thriven Functional Medicine Clinic. https://thrivenfunctionalmedicine.com/melatonin-and-cortisol/#:~:text=Cortisol%20wakes%20us%20and%20should