If someone is experiencing a lot of stress, cortisol can be secreted throughout the day and night, which can interfere with your ability to sleep at night.
Cortisol is the body’s natural response to threats. It is like a natural built-in alarm system. The levels of the hormone may vary throughout the day. But high cortisol levels are a common occurrence now. When the body churns too much of the stress hormone, it is termed as Cushing syndrome. But what causes high cortisol levels? “The brain’s hypothalamus interacts with various glands in our body to regulate the levels of hormones. When it comes to cortisol, this is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,” explains report by Healthline. When cortisol levels are low, the hypothalamus releasesTrusted Source the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to release the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH then causes the adrenal gland to create and release more cortisol.”
Cortisol release occurs in a circadian fashion, so it’s naturally highest in the morning, when a burst of energy is needed to wake up, and declines during the day, lowest being at night just before sleep. Of course, if you are experiencing a lot of stress, cortisol can be secreted throughout the day and night, which can interfere with your ability to sleep at night.
SIGNS OF HIGH CORTISOL
As the body’s primary stress hormone, cortisol surges when we perceive danger, and causes all the symptoms we associate with “fight or flight”.
- Weight gain espicially around the abdomen and face
- Muscle weakness
- High Blood Sugar
- Hypertension
- Weak Bones
- Modd Swings
- Problems with memory and concentration
IMPORTANCE OF CORTISOL
It plays an other important roles as well:
• Manages how body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
• Keeps inflammation down
• Regulates blood pressure
• Increases blood sugar
• Controls sleep-wake cycle
• Boosts energy so you can handle stress and restores balance afterward
When cortisol in the body is consistently high over a long period of time—due to chronic stress or a medical condition, for example —you can start to experience health consequences as mentioned above.
WAYS TO MANAGE HIGH CORTISOL
Several things you can do to try to lower your cortisol levels and keep them at optimal ranges:
- Get quality sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Learn to limit stress and stressful thinking patterns
- Journaling
- Practice deep breathing exercises
- Participate in hobbies and fun activities
Too much stress is the main trigger for high cortisol levels. Therefore, it is better to kook out of these symptoms and prepare yourself well.
