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Self Monitoring Study on How Sleep Affects Stress Levels

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Submitted By beanbag
Words 4076
Pages 17
Can Obtaining Adequate Amounts of Sleep (between 8-9 hours) Reduce Stress Levels?
BPS Wellness Paper Individual Self-Study Write-Up

Intro
My identified issue is lack of sleep and high stress levels. I do not maintain a schedule that would allow for enough quality sleep. I am also experience stress levels that are high, and suspect that lack of sleep may be a source of some of this stress. I have difficulty falling asleep and occasionally staying asleep. As a result I am often fatigued and tend to crave high fat sugary carbohydrates and overeat on them, to maintain mood and energy.
Research Question
Can obtaining adequate amounts of sleep (between 8-9 hours of sleep) reduce stress levels?
My hypothesis is in order to lower my stress levels I would like to obtain 8 hours of sleep with and monitor the effects of this on my reported levels of stress. My rationale is my mind and body are more rested therefore my perception of stress and my ability to handle stress would improve thereby lowering my stress levels(Minkel et al., 2012)
Sleep deprivation is associated with higher cortisol levels and with an exaggerated cortisol response to a stressor. I have not been obtaining a regular 8 hrs of sleep per night and have been feeling stressed.(“10 Surprising Effects of Lack of Sleep,” n.d.) My plan is to see if obtaining at least 8 hours of sleep lowers my stress levels.

Method: Over the course of 21 days upon rising I will record the number of hours of sleep I receive. I will record my level of stress at the end of the day using my 1-5 rating system. Since I have difficulty falling and staying asleep I will incorporate between 0-60 minutes of exercise per night and rate my sleep quality that night. Similar to the study, Effects of Prolonged Sleep Deprivation, With and Without Chronic Physical Exercise, on Mood and Performance where subjects filled out

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