For many workers, the first sign that they have pushed themselves too far does not come in the middle of a demanding workweek. It comes when the pressure finally stops.
After weeks of tight deadlines, long hours and inadequate sleep, a person may complete an important assignment, take a weekend off and suddenly develop a fever, cold, flu-like symptoms or another illness.
What is often dismissed as bad luck or a mere “change of weather” may, according to Dr Oluwatobi Babarinsa, a psychiatrist and senior registrar at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, be linked to the physical effects of prolonged stress and sleep deprivation.
Speaking on the health programme Health Matters, Babarinsa explained that sustained psychological pressure can have consequences far beyond mood and emotional wellbeing, particularly when it is accompanied by insufficient sleep.
Sleep deprivation and the immune system
In a culture where long working hours are sometimes celebrated as evidence of commitment and ambition, sleep can become one of the first sacrifices people make.
Some workers routinely sleep for only a few hours before returning to work, while others boast about staying awake through the night to meet deadlines.
But Babarinsa cautioned that inadequate sleep comes with a physiological cost.
“Some studies have reported that when you don’t sleep continuously for up to 5 hours every day, you weaken the natural defence system of the body by 30%,” he said.
The psychiatrist also stressed that sleep deprivation should not be considered in isolation from stress, noting that both can affect the body's ability to protect itself against illness.
“And you must understand that stress has its own impact on physical wellness,” Babarinsa added, “because stress reduces the body’s immunity against illnesses.”
His comments highlight why people who consistently sacrifice rest in pursuit of work, business or other responsibilities may eventually find themselves struggling with their health.
What happens when stress becomes chronic?
Stress is a normal biological response. In the short term, it can help the body respond to demanding or threatening situations.
The problem arises when the stressful state continues for prolonged periods without sufficient recovery.
According to Babarinsa, repeated exposure to stress causes the body to release hormones associated with the stress response.
“When someone is frequently exposed to stress, what is released is what we call the stress hormone, corticosteroids,” he explained.
These hormones play important roles in the body's response to stress. However, prolonged stress can affect immune function.
“What corticosteroids do in the long run is that they weaken the natural killer cells, which is the body’s immune system, the defence system, the first line of defence,” Babarinsa said.
Natural killer cells are part of the immune system and help the body respond to infected or abnormal cells. The broader point, according to the psychiatrist, is that persistent stress can compromise some of the body's protective mechanisms.
The result may be increased vulnerability to illnesses.
“And it predisposes the person to come down with ordinarily conditions, medical conditions or illnesses that they won’t—be it a flu, or a fever, or a cold,” Babarinsa noted.
“So stress has a lot of sequelae on physical, social, and even mental well-being.”
Why illness can appear after a stressful period
The experience is familiar to many people: they manage to remain functional during an intense period of work, only to become sick immediately after the deadline has passed.
It may seem paradoxical. If the person endured the stressful period without falling ill, why does the sickness appear once the pressure is over?
Babarinsa said the connection between stress and physical illness is one that people themselves often recognise, even if they do not fully understand the biological processes involved.
“That’s why you will have had friends or family or colleagues who come down with an illness and casually say, ‘I’ve been stressed, that’s why,’” he said.
“Because there’s a lot of relationship between stress and physical illnesses. There’s a lot of relationship between stress and the onset of even long-standing medical conditions.”
This means that repeatedly feeling exhausted, becoming ill frequently or experiencing a deterioration in wellbeing should not automatically be dismissed as an unavoidable consequence of having a busy life.
The danger of turning exhaustion into a lifestyle
For professionals, entrepreneurs, students and others facing demanding schedules, there can be considerable pressure to remain productive regardless of physical or psychological exhaustion.
The language of “hustle” and constant productivity can make rest appear to be a sign of weakness, while working through the night may be portrayed as dedication.
But the body does not distinguish between a deadline that feels urgent and the need for recovery.
When inadequate sleep is combined with prolonged stress, the result can be a cycle in which an individual has less opportunity to recover while the body's stress response remains active.
Rather than waiting until illness forces them to stop, people under sustained pressure should pay attention to signs that their bodies may be struggling, including persistent tiredness, disturbed sleep, irritability, difficulty concentrating and recurrent illness.
Rest is part of health care
Managing stress does not necessarily require expensive interventions or complicated routines.
It begins with basic habits, including getting adequate sleep and creating opportunities for the body and mind to recover.
People should avoid making a habit of sleeping for only a few hours each night, while those dealing with demanding schedules should deliberately create periods for rest rather than treating recovery as an afterthought.
Short breaks during the day, physical activity, relaxation techniques and stepping away from demanding tasks can also help people manage stress more effectively.
Most importantly, chronic stress should not be treated solely as an emotional problem.
Babarinsa's warning is that prolonged psychological pressure can have physical consequences, particularly when combined with inadequate sleep.
The next time someone finishes a gruelling period of work and suddenly falls ill, therefore, the explanation may be more complicated than “change of weather.”
The body may simply be demanding the recovery it was denied for weeks.
As Babarinsa put it, “stress has a lot of sequelae on physical, social, and even mental well-being.”