NIGHTTIME WAKEFULNESS/SLEEP DISTURBANCE IS ONE OF THE SIGNS OF AN ACTIVE CONFLICT STATE
Our alertness and wakefulness are influenced by the cortisol hormone produced by the adrenal cortex. Under normal circumstances (in normotonia), the adrenal gland produces the most hormones in the morning, around the time of waking, to help us get up. By evening, production decreases, and by nighttime, it ceases, allowing us to sleep and rest.
If we cannot sleep, it means that cortisol production is occurring at night, indicating that something is making it necessary for us to remain alert even then. This nighttime cortisol production is caused by an active conflict state, during which our body (even at night) mobilizes its reserves and focuses our attention on resolving the problematic situation.
To make it easier to understand, imagine that a predator is chasing us, having singled us out as prey. This would likely cause a conflict for us, and it’s also likely that, regardless of the time of day, we would take off running. This escape would only end, if we found a solution to the situation—for example, hiding in a safe place, outsmarting the animal and defeating it, or receiving external help, etc.—in other words, if we were certain that the danger no longer threatened us. Only then could we rest, close our eyes, and fall asleep peacefully.
Although in today’s civilized world, we are rarely chased by wild animals but rather face other types of conflicts, the processes and biochemical reactions behind conflicts remain unchanged. In other words, until we find some sort of resolution to our conflicts (or express the emotions related to the conflict), the adrenal gland keeps us awake and alert at night.
