potential effects on the adolescent brain & romantic relationships
The accumulated effects of physiological stress and/or sleep disruption may affect brain functions involved in attention, memory and emotion regulation. Stress related signalling can also affect pre-frontal function as well as hypothalamic function.
It's scientifically proven that poor sleep can interfere with memory consolidation and learning, which can make romantic relationships difficult as one tries to build a sense of continuity in a relationship.
Dopamine is associated with the brain's reward circuitry, which affects social approval, connections and positive interactions. If dopamine levels are affected by heat related sleep & psychological stress, it can be postulated that it can affect one's social interactions in a romantic relationship as well.
An adolescent's prefrontal cortex is still developing affecting one's ability to make decisions. With the limbic reward system being developed earlier, motivation & reward pleasure from romantic relationships can matter more when it comes to decisions of an adolescent.
***direct evidence that heat related sleep disruptions can change adolescent prefrontal development through cortisol or norepinephrine is limited.
***A direct correlation of heat related sleep disruptions to dopamine affecting romantic attraction is currently unsupported by sufficient evidence.
Anastasiades, P. G., de Vivo, L., Bellesi, M., & Jones, M. W. (2022). Adolescent sleep and the foundations of prefrontal cortical development and dysfunction. Progress in Neurobiology, 218(102338), 102338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102338
Palmer, C., Bower, J., Cho, K., Clementi, M., Lau, S., Oosterhoff, B., & Alfano, C. (n.d.). Sleep Loss and Emotion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Over 50 Years of Experimental Research. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000410.pdf
ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol, which is a stress hormone. It helps the body modulate immune activity, influence the body's stress response, mobilize energy, regulate inflammation and respond to normal bodily demands. The activation of the HPA axis can affect cortisol regulation and noradrenergic signalling. Norepinephrine helps regulate alertness, attention and the body's response to demands.
***The magnitude and persistence of these effects in adolescents remain important research questions.
Thau, L., Gandhi, J., & Sharma, S. (2023, August 28). Physiology, Cortisol. National Library of Medicine; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/.
stress-related chemical signalling: cortisol & norepinephrine
As a result of physiological stress & sleep disruption, the HPA axis is activated. The hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
The ANS is also activated due to the stress, which affects involuntary functions such as heart rate, blood vessel activity, & sweating.
Xu, J., Wang, Q., Anikeeva, O., Zhu, P., Bi, P., & Huang, C. (2025). Effects of extreme heat on physiology, morbidity, and mortality under climate change: mechanisms and clinical implications. BMJ, 391, e084675. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-084675
stress-response systems: Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA) & autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Climate related stressor: EXTREME HEAT
Thermoregulation plays an important role in how our brains coordinate body temperatures to prepare our bodies for sleep. In higher temperatures, it becomes more difficult to release body heat, which can delay sleep onset and disrupt sleep throughout the night.
The hypothalamus coordinates core body temperature & sleep–wake regulation. The suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus is a small group of neurons in the hypothalamus that acts as the body's circadian rhythm, which also signals the pineal gland to release melatonin that causes sleepiness.
Chevance et al. (2024), A systematic review of ambient heat and sleep in a warming climate; Climate change and its impact on children and adolescents sleep (2025).
Romanovsky, A. A., Andras Garami, Luca Imeri, Madden, C. J., & Steiner, A. A. (2018). Thermoregulation : from basic neuroscience to clinical neurology. Elsevier.
