Stress Has Become Normalised But It Is Not Normal
April marks Stress Awareness Month, but the reality is, stress is no longer something we experience occasionally. It has become part of everyday life. A recent UK report by Mental Health UK, conducted with YouGov, found that 9 in 10 people have experienced stress or high pressure in the past year.
Stress and sleep are closely connected. When cortisol remains elevated, the body struggles to transition into deep, restorative sleep.
What Is Stress, and Is All Stress Bad?
Stress is a biological response driven by cortisol. In the right amounts, it helps you wake, focus and perform. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman explains that cortisol is not the enemy, it is essential for wakefulness and performance, but only when it peaks at the right time of day.
This natural rise in the morning is known as the cortisol awakening response.
A Modern View on Stress
Neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart describes stress not just as something we experience but something the brain can learn.
Through neuroplasticity, the brain adapts to repeated patterns which means if you’re constantly under pressure, your brain begins to wire itself around that state. Stress stops being a reaction and becomes your baseline.
She also highlights that stress is not just psychological, it’s biological.
It affects:
+ hormone levels
+ brain chemistry
+ behaviour
And even how we interact with others.
At the same time, the brain requires rest, recovery and downtime to function optimally. Without it, we struggle to regulate emotions, think clearly, and switch off.
Which is why supporting the body into a state of calm particularly in the evening is so important.
When Does Stress Become a Problem?
Cortisol should be high in the morning and low at night. When cortisol stays elevated into the evening, it disrupts your ability to switch off and fall into deep sleep. Stress isn’t the enemy but mis-timed stress is.
Why Stress Affects Sleep (Tired but Wired)
One of the most common signs of stress is feeling 'tired but wired'. Research shows elevated evening cortisol keeps the brain in a state of alertness even when the body is exhausted.
Sleep scientist Matthew Walker describes sleep as “the most effective way to reset brain and body health but stress interferes with this reset”.
Why Do You Wake Up at 2-3am?
Firstly, you are not alone. In the early hours, your body naturally begins to increase cortisol to prepare for waking. But when your overall stress levels are already high, this rise can happen too early and too strongly.
At the same time, blood sugar levels can dip overnight. To compensate, the body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline effectively pulling you out of sleep.
The result is a sudden wake-up, often paired with a racing mind and a sense of alertness that feels completely at odds with how tired you are.
The Hidden Impact of Stress on The Brain
Deep sleep is where some of the body’s most important repair work happens including the activation of the glymphatic system, often described as the brain’s overnight “clean-up” process.
During deep sleep, this system becomes significantly more active, allowing cerebrospinal fluid to move through the brain and clear out metabolic waste, including proteins linked to cognitive decline. (Source: Xie et al., Science, 2013)
But this process is highly dependent on sleep depth and quality.
When stress keeps the nervous system in a more alert state, time spent in deep sleep is reduced meaning this essential clean-up becomes less efficient. At the same time, disrupted sleep cycles can also impact REM sleep, the stage associated with emotional processing, memory consolidation, and mental resilience.
Sleep scientist Matthew Walker highlights that both deep sleep and REM play distinct but equally critical roles in restoring the brain, physically and emotionally.
When either is compromised, you may notice:
+ brain fog
+ reduced focus
+ lower stress tolerance
+ feeling mentally “off,” even after a full night in bed
How Stress Shows Up on the Body and Skin
Stress increases inflammation and contributes to collagen breakdown. This is why stress often shows up as reactive skin, dullness and accelerated ageing.
Wellbeing expert Liz Earle often speaks about the visible impact of stress explaining that chronic stress doesn’t just affect how we feel, but how we age.
Prolonged stress has been linked to:
- increased inflammation
- collagen breakdown
- disrupted skin repair
Over time, this can show up as:
- dullness
- sensitivity
- accelerated signs of ageing
When stress is reduced, many of these effects can begin to reverse highlighting just how responsive the body is when given the right support.
Our Moonlit CBD Face Mask is designed to work in sync with the skin and the nervous system overnight.
Formulated with:
+ Broad-spectrum CBD anti-inflammatory, calming, skin-soothing
+ Bakuchiol a gentle, plant-based retinol alternative that supports renewal and smoothness
+ Kaolin clay softly purifying, drawing out impurities without stripping
+ Willow bark extract naturally clarifying, refining texture and promoting clarity
It works while you sleep to calm, restore and rebalance leaving skin softer, clearer, and visibly more at ease by morning.
Why Is It So Hard to Switch Off?
Stress is nervous system driven and your body needs to feel safe to relax. You cannot think your way out of stress, you must signal safety to the body.
How to Lower Cortisol and Calm the Nervous System?
The body is not designed to live in a constant state of stress. Simple, consistent habits can have a powerful impact:
+ Movement helps reduce cortisol and release endorphins
+ Time in nature has been shown to calm the nervous system
+ Daily rituals create signals of safety for the body
These small shifts are not just lifestyle choices, they are biological signals that help the body return to balance.
Daytime - How to Support Your Nervous System Through the Day
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman highlights morning light exposure as one of the most powerful ways to regulate cortisol and anchor your circadian rhythm setting the tone for both energy during the day and sleep at night.
Throughout the day, small, intentional pauses can have a profound effect on the nervous system. Moments of stillness, stepping outside, or even something as simple as listening to birdsong help signal safety back to the body gently bringing you out of a constant state of alert.
Evening - Signalling the Body to Switch Off
As the day slows, your environment should begin to mirror that shift. Warm baths are particularly powerful helping to increase circulation before allowing the body to cool down, a process that naturally promotes sleep onset.
Our The Z’s Bath Soak is designed for this exact moment blending anti-inflammatory CBD with deeply calming essential oils such as lavender, vetiver and patchouli to help the body and mind fully let go.
Lower lighting, a slower pace, and reduced stimulation all reinforce this transition - telling the nervous system it’s safe to rest.
How Can Magnesium and CBD Support Stress?
Stress is both mental and physical which is why supporting both aspects is key.
CBD works on the mind
Helping to regulate stress through the endocannabinoid system, easing an overactive or racing mind.
Magnesium works on the body
Supporting muscle relaxation and calming the nervous system particularly important, as stress is known to deplete magnesium levels over time.
Together, they create a more complete response calming both mind and body.
Used consistently, this leads to a deeper, more complete kind of rest.
The Power of Touch
Research shows touch and massage can lower cortisol and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is why applying magnesium as a ritual is so effective. We recommend using our Dreem Melt Melting Magnesium Butter before bedtime. Simply use a grape sized amount which contains 360mg magnesium chloride (best magnesium for topical use). It has a gentle natural lavender fragrance and is really nourishing too and can be used on all the family.
Stress is not something to eliminate, it is something to regulate. Stress was designed to help us survive not to be our default state. By supporting cortisol during the day and allowing it to drop at night, your sleep will be so much deeper and more restorative.
