Review of the effects of chronic stress on human insomnia

Abstract

While there are decent amounts of studies exploring the effects of chronic stress on sleep in animal models (e.g., rats), studies recruiting human subjects on this specific topic are rare in neuroscience and psychology. Thus, this paper aims to review the literature focusing on and mentioning chronic stress effects on human sleep, primarily based on experimental trials and clinical cases. Specifically, this review assesses the relationship between chronic stress (rather than acute stress and traumatic events) and insomnia in adult humans, the neurological and behavioral influence of chronic stress, and potential treatments for insomnia related to stress. The review was conducted using the PsycInfo database. Results from the reviewed literature show that chronic stress is associated with a decrease in neurogenesis and can be predicted by amygdala reactivity. Human subjects are likely to replicate results from rat models that show a decrease in REM sleep time under chronic stress and altered slow wave activities during sleep, and such deprivation of REM sleep can further alter hormonal levels in brain areas relating to stress and learning. Promisingly, there is evidence supporting the efficacy of cognitive and behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), conducted by professional therapists.