Could Stress Be Making You Sick?

Right now, I'm fighting a cold. It's only a minor cold, and it's hardly slowing me down from my regular activities, but I'm certain that if I had gotten better sleep last week, and had better managed my stress, I would have been able to fight off the germs and have been able to stay healthy. (Yes, even those of us who focus heavily on stress management can sometimes get stressed, and virtually all moms find themselves too busy to get enough sleep now and then.) Feeling a little silly for having forgotten some important points on dealing with stress and sleep, I feel compelled to bring this important info to your attention.

You may be surprised to learn all the ways in which stress can impact your health. Here's a refresher course on how stress interacts with your immune system and sleep patterns, and what you can do to stay healthy:

• Stress and Your Health
  Here's more on how stress affects immunity, and the various things that could happen with a too-stressed body.
• How Stress Impacts Your Sleep
  You may be surprised at how many different ways stress can impact your sleep--both quality and quantity. Here's the lowdown on stress and sleep, with resources on getting more shuteye.
• Healthy Habits for Better Sleep
  Here are some habits to adopt into your lifestyle to both decrease stress levels and increase quality sleep.
• How Can Stress Impact Your Health?
  Do you have a firm grasp of the link between stress and health? Test your knowledge on stress and health with this quick quiz.
• How Is Stress Affecting You?
  Would you rather have a quiz that tests your stress levels, tells you where stress may be affecting your health, and supplies you with resources for healthy change? I've got one of those, too. Here it is.

--Elizabeth Scott