Can stress delay your period?
When you're stressed, the last thing you want is a delayed period to stress you out even more. But it does seem that the effect of stress on the body reaches as far as your menstrual cycle, potientially making it shorter, longer or more painful than usual.
Quite a few studies have been carried out in this area all over the world, but the results vary. This is probably due to an inability to specifically control stress (how can you determine exactly how stressed each woman is?) but also the fact that every body is different, and each woman wil likely have a variation in hormone levels that makes them harder to track precisely.
Below, you can find out more about the relationship between late/missed periods and stress.
Can stress cause a late period?
There's little evidence to say whether stress can definitely cause a late period, and the studies that have been conducted have variable results.
One particular study from the 1990s had some interesting findings. Despite potentially being viewed as outdated, the study looked at the effect of work stress on over 400 women in the US. They found that women who had worked in stressful jobs were twice as likely to have short cycles (less than average 28 days). The cycle length decreased by an average of one day. The follicular phase was most affected/shortened by stress (this is the phase from the first day of your cycle to around the 14th day). In this instance, your next period would start earlier than expected, not later.
Most interesting, however, are studies which suggest how stress can alter a woman's hormones. Women that are sensitive to increased cortisol may see an increase in PMS symptoms due to the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axes when they're stressed.
Another 90s study found that the risk of a longer menstrual cycle (resulting in a 'late' period) was greater when the women were exposed to stressors related to a demand for performance at work or school.
Stress can impact your menstrual cycle in other ways, too. Some studies have found that the risk of period pain is twice as high in women/AFAB people with high stress levels compared to those with low stress levels.
How long can stress delay your period for?
How long your period can be delayed for will depend on the level of stress you're feeling. However, it's thought that it could delay your period by one to two days. There are other reasons your period could be delayed, including pregnancy, perimenopause (if you're aged ebtween 45 and 55), weight loss, the contraceptive pill or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Can stress stop your period?
Stress could cause you to miss a period, or be late for your period, however it's unlikely that stress would cause your periods to stop long term. If the gap between your period varies each time, then it may be that you're experiencing irregular periods instead.
You should seek advice from a pharmacist or GP if you've missed your period three months in a row, or if your periods haven't started by the time you're 16 years old. You should also get a professional medical opinion if you've had other symptoms like dry or oily kin, excess hair growth on your face, weight gain or weight loss.
