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Can Stress Make Your Period Late? 4 Ways To Ease

By: Author Dr Akatakpo Dunn, MBBS, PG Dip Ultrasound, Prof Dip O&G (RCPI) Medical Director & Lead Obstetrician/Ultrasonologist, Verah Clinic & Maternity

Posted on Last updated:

Can stress make your period late?

Stress is the body’s way of reacting to danger and threat. Stress is the natural reaction your body has when changes or challenges occur, and it can affect your mind and body at the same time.

If you find yourself in a difficult situation, either physical or perceived, your body reacts to keep you safe.

Have you ever faced real-life dangerous situations? Your body changes very quickly through the flight and fight mechanism. This makes it possible for you to swiftly react to any threat.

However, persistently being under stress due to work, lifestyle or events in your life can totally disrupt important systems in your body – Immune, cardiac and reproductive systems.

What are the symptoms of stress?

Our daily activities may need us to get prepared for any form of emergency. However, if you continue to get stressed out, these are some symptoms you may experience

  • You feel very pessimistic about yourself and others and finding it difficult to see the positive part of you

  • You are making a lot of wrong decisions

  • Your mood changes easily in a swift way

  • You always feel disturbed by events in your life

  • You are depressed with limited options to find happiness

  • You’re taking too much food or eating very little

  • You get sleepless nights frequently

  • You can’t get happy easily

  • It’s getting difficult to interact with others at work or school

  • You are sleeping too much through day and night hours

  • You find alcohol or smoking as an easy way to relieve your stress or feel better

If you feel this way, stress is already having an effect on you. Chronic stress may also have physical symptoms like

  • Generalized body pains

  • Passing too much of watery stool frequently (diarrhea)

  • Nausea

  • Fast heart rate

  • Constipation

Many people also notice headaches, muscle tension, fatigue and problems with sleep or concentration when they are under a lot of stress symptoms.

So, what causes stress?

Being stressed out once in a while may not really have a toll on your health. Common causes of stress are

  • Academic activities and sleepless nights due to studying

  • Financial issues that are taking a toll on you

  • Working too much without any leisure time

  • Stress coming from your family or friends

  • Sickness and disability

  • You got divorced recently

  • After being sacked by an employer

Can stress make your period late?

Yes. Stress can affect many systems in your body, including your heart, immune system and your menstrual cycle. If you continue to get worked up for a long time, the hormones that control your cycle may be disrupted and your period could come late, be earlier than usual, or even skip a month.

Always rule out pregnancy first if you have had unprotected sex and your period is late. Health services like the NHS also list stress, alongside pregnancy, weight changes and over-exercising, as one of the causes of stopped or missed periods.

How does stress delay period?

The brain’s hypothalamus is the control centre that helps release hormones and sends signals to your pituitary gland, which then tells the ovaries when to ovulate.

The gonadotropin releasing hormone (or GnRH) is released from the hypothalamus and controls the release of hormones from the pituitary, which then act on the ovaries.

During your menstrual cycle, other hormones that play a role are

  • Luteinizing hormone – Also called LH, is produced by the pituitary

  • Follicle stimulating hormone – Also called FSH and produced by the pituitary

  • Progesterone and estrogen

If you either have prolonged sleepless nights or get stressed for a long time, GnRH hormone secretion may be reduced or its pattern may change. This can affect the release of the other hormones – LH, FSH, estrogen and progesterone, that work together to control your ovulation and next menstruation, and may cause irregular or missed periods for some women.

How to ease stress and feel better

  • Get prepared for stress and connect with others

  • Have regular excercise

  • Find time to break busy schedule and relax

  • Take healthy diet like vegetables and omega-3-fatty acid which can help improve how you respond to stress

  • Talk to your doctor

Simple things like deep breathing, short walks, prayer or meditation can also help calm your body.

Other reason for delayed period

Stress is not the only reason for delayed period. If you’ve had intercourse with your male partner some weeks ago, you could be pregnant. Some symptoms that are common very early in pregnancy are nausea, feeling very tired even with little activity, changes in your mood, urinating frequently, mild abdominal bloating or cramps, sore or fuller breasts, and increase in breast size.

Other causes of delayed period are

There are many causes of menstrual irregularities, and your doctor can help you find the exact reason in your own case.

If your period has been late for more than 7 days, you have had unprotected sex, or you miss your period completely for 3 months (or 6 months if your periods were always irregular), it is important to see your doctor or gynecologist. Doctors sometimes call this secondary amenorrhea (or Amenorrhea: Absence of Periods). They will check for pregnancy and look for other causes such as thyroid problems, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or early menopause/primary ovarian insufficiency.

Go to the hospital urgently if you have very heavy bleeding soaking pads every hour, severe lower abdominal pain, dizziness or fainting.