---
title: "BIOL 105 · Sleep, stress and your body"
publisher: Maestro College (Maestro Open)
lessons: 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body
full: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/llms-full.txt
---

# Sleep, stress and your body (BIOL 105)

Understand your body clock, sleep and stress response, and build simple, evidence-based habits for better rest, movement and recovery, plus when to see a professional.

Sleep, stress and energy shape how you feel every day, yet few people learn how they actually work. This course explains your body clock, what happens during sleep, how the stress response works and why it can wear you down, and how movement, breathing and rest help you recover. You'll build a realistic plan and learn when it's time to see a professional. It is general education, not medical advice.

## Course objectives
- The circadian rhythm and how light and routine set your body clock
- Sleep stages, why sleep matters and evidence-based sleep habits
- The stress response, and the difference between short-term and long-term stress
- Movement, breathing and recovery practices with good evidence
- Signs it's time to see a professional

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## Lessons
### Unit 1: Your body clock and sleep
- [The circadian rhythm](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/the-circadian-rhythm.md)
- [What happens when you sleep](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/what-happens-when-you-sleep.md)
- [Why sleep matters](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/why-sleep-matters.md)
- [Challenge: the sleep detective](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/challenge-the-sleep-detective.md)

### Unit 2: Building better sleep
- [Sleep habits that work](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/sleep-habits-that-work.md)
- [Winding down and lying awake](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/winding-down-and-lying-awake.md)
- [Naps, shift work and sleep problems](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/naps-shift-work-and-sleep-problems.md)
- [Challenge: design a sleep plan](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/challenge-design-a-sleep-plan.md)

### Unit 3: Stress and your body
- [The stress response](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/the-stress-response.md)
- [Short-term and long-term stress](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/short-term-and-long-term-stress.md)
- [Calming and recovery practices](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/calming-and-recovery-practices.md)
- [Challenge: stress toolkit](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/challenge-stress-toolkit.md)

### Unit 4: Energy, movement and getting help
- [Movement basics](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/movement-basics.md)
- [Energy through the day](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/energy-through-the-day.md)
- [When to see a professional](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/when-to-see-a-professional.md)
- [Challenge: your recovery plan](https://open.maestrocollege.edu/sleep-stress-and-your-body/challenge-your-recovery-plan.md)

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.
Start with lesson 1 unless the learner asks for a specific lesson. Keep track of which lesson you are on.

## When a lesson is done
Teach one lesson at a time. A lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed for it; check each with a small task or question.
When it is complete:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson N complete: <lesson title>." (use the lesson's number and title).
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, say "Lesson N+1 of 16: <title>", and ask if they're ready to start it. Start it only when they say yes.
After the last lesson, congratulate them on finishing the course.