Cortisol: More Than Just A Stress Hormone
Cortisol has been a buzzing word over the last couple years, but many people think of cortisol as equating to stress. While that is partially true, that’s not all the cortisol is.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands located above the kidneys and it is released at times of stress. Now let’s remember that stress doesn’t always have to be considered “bad”. In fact, stress can be either beneficial or harmful to our system depending on the source. Regardless, stress is essential because it keeps us awake and alert.
With that in mind, it may be more helpful to think of cortisol not just as a stress hormone, but as a hormone of energy and alertness.
Though cortisol is released as times of stress, it does so much more for us than just make us stressed. In fact, it’s main functions include regulating:
energy
blood sugar
inflammation
blood pressure
immune system
metabolism
alertness
stress response
Balancing cortisol is another topic that’s often discussed, and a common misconception is that it means having stable, consistent levels throughout the day. In fact, the opposite is true: this pattern has been shown to carry the highest risk of cardiovascular-related mortality. Instead, “balanced” cortisol should follow our natural circadian rhythm: higher in the morning, gradually decreasing throughout the day, and lowest in the evening before bed. More specifically, our highest cortisol levels should be triggered just after waking.
If we take a look at this through the lens of cortisol serving as a hormone of alertness or energy, it makes sense, right? We need that energy and alertness to wake up in the morning and keep functioning throughout the day. But we don’t need that alertness or energy in the evening before we go to bed (otherwise, we’ll be tossing and turning and not able to sleep), which is why our cortisol levels should be lowest before bed.
To trigger this healthy cortisol pattern (higher in the morning and lowest at night) there are some practices you can incorporate into your daily life for better functioning, better sleep, less inflammation, better metabolism, improved immunity, more energy, and other benefits. Some of these include:
sunlight within 30 minutes waking
exercise or highly cognitive demanding tasks in the mornings or earlier hours of the day
eliminating caffeine 10 hours before bedtime
eliminating blue light and artificial light exposure before bedtime
meditative and calming activities before bed to help relax
This is just a short list of the most effective practices for a healthy cortisol protocol. If you are interested in learning more about how these practices will help your cortisol patterns, what other practices can help achieve them, or, in general, if you would like to learn more about cortisol or the different patterns, check out my guide here.
If you are interested in learning what cortisol pattern you have, you can take my quiz to see if your symptoms may be associated with irregular cortisol patterns.