RELATIONSHIPS
Sleeping After A Breakup Is Often Impossible. Here's Why
By AMANDA CHATEL
Stress
Breakups are stressful and can cause physical and mental pain, which is exhausting, but stress increases cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone that can increase blood sugar, speed up the heart, and make you anxious, making sleep difficult.
Withdrawal
Falling in love has been compared to the high of cocaine, so when you break up and that love is taken away, you will experience withdrawals. During this time period, it’s important to focus on self-care and have a strong support system to help you get through.
Dopamine
When someone goes through a breakup, neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin decrease. These hormones give you that feel-good feeling and are necessary for happiness and pleasure, so a sudden decrease in these can lead to depression which also leads to a lack of sleep.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is the love hormone and similar to decreased levels of dopamine, the lack of oxytocin makes your body hurt. It protects you against stress and anxiety, so without oxytocin, stress, and anxiety will rise and make sleep difficult.