Cortisol and chronic stress
The normal cortisol rhythm, what throws it off, and the levers for regulating it.
Cortisol is not the enemy
Cortisol is a necessary hormone. It mobilises energy, supports alertness, regulates inflammation and takes part in waking.
The problem is not that it exists, it is its profile: cortisol that does not come down in the evening, or does not rise in the morning.
The normal rhythm
A peak about thirty minutes after waking, what is called the cortisol awakening response, which gets you going. Then a gradual decline through the day. Finally a minimum around 10 pm to midnight, which allows melatonin to be released.
A normal profile has a marked amplitude: high in the morning, low in the evening.
The disrupted profiles
A blunted morning peak. Hard waking, an immediate need for caffeine, fog until 11 am. Often linked to chronic sleep shortfall or to insufficient morning light exposure.
The rest is part of the Sleep & Energy module
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