Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
Published on: June 18, 2014
Psychological stress is associated with heightened physiological arousal during NREM sleep in primary insomnia
Martica Hall1, Julian F Thayer, Anne Germain
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. hallmh@upmc.edu
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to evaluate cross-sectional relationships among symptoms of psychological stress, sleep, and physiological arousal during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in a sample of 30 patients with chronic, primary insomnia (mean age, 30.2 years, 60% female). Study measures included indexes of subjective stress, visually scored sleep, and physiological arousal during NREM sleep: quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) and quantitative electrocardiogram (QEKG) measures. Psychological stress was more strongly related to indexes of physiological arousal during NREM sleep than to visually scored measures of sleep. Higher levels of perceived stress were associated with decreased EEG delta power (rho = -0.50, p < .01) and increased EEG beta power (rho = 0.38, p < .05). Increased frequency of stress-related avoidance behaviors was associated with decreased EKG high-frequency power (rho = -0.46, p < .05). Although QEEG measures were significantly correlated with sleep maintenance (QEEG delta power rho = 0.45, p < .01; QEEG beta power rho = -0.54, p < .01) and time spent in delta sleep (QEEG delta power rho = 0.65, p < .001; QEEG beta power rho = -0.65, p < .001), QEKG measures were unrelated to visually scored measures of sleep. Perceived stress and stress-related avoidance behaviors were associated with multiple indexes of physiological arousal during NREM sleep in patients with chronic, primary insomnia.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Physiological Foundation of Stress
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...