Are You Exhausted But Can’t Switch Off? Your Guide To High Cortisol & How To Lower It Naturally.

So, why do so many women experience similar issues including feeling chronically fatigued, unable to switch off, high anxiety, irritability, cravings, weight gain, waking during the night (usually between 2am and 4am)?

In this article I hope to bring you a better understanding of what is going on and what small changes you can make to help to reduce the (sometimes debilitating) effects of high cortisol.

Cortisol is known as your body’s "natural stress hormone", which when it is functioning properly, responds to stress by briefly rising, and returns to normal levels quickly when stress is reduced. It also has other important roles in the body including controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and reducing inflammation.

However, these days there are many stressors including: work, family, health issues, financial worries, lack of quality sleep, poor diets and hormonal shifts, especially from our mid 30’s onwards, when our hormones begin to decline.

We have oestrogen receptors throughout our body, and oestrogen is extremely important in our body, but as it naturally declines, this raises our cortisol base line, and this increase supresses our progesterone (our calming hormone). 

HOW DOES THE CORTISOL RHYTHM WORK?

Cortisol normally rises in the morning to help you waken and reduces throughout the day to its lowest levels at night. But stress in your daily life has a role to play in your cortisol levels. Many of the glands (hormone secreting) in our body work together, and the HPA axis (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenals) sends a message to your adrenals to release Cortisol when our brain senses danger, whether this stress is real or imagined.

The problem is, when Cortisol is constantly being released in response to stress, our body and mind can stay in a permanent state of feeling wired. Hence the expression “Wired but Tired”.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAIN SIGNS OF HIGH CORTISOL?

1. ANXIETY / IRRITABILITY

When our Cortisol levels are in a constant elevated state, it has a dampening effect on the neurotransmitters that are known to have a calming effect, like GABA, DOPAMINE, & SERATONIN. When this occurs, we feel anxious, irritable and constantly on edge.

2. CRAVINGS

If we become stressed and Cortisol rises, it causes us to release glucose to fuel the “fight or flight” response, but when this is not the case, we end up with too much glucose and that causes our insulin levels to spike. Afterwards, we then experience what is known as a "CRASH". That sudden craving for something sweet, maybe cake, chocolate or sugary drinks. This can become a vicious unending circle.

3. WEIGHT GAIN (around the middle)

Over time this constant loop can cause weight gain especially around the middle/abdomen, due to excess glucose being stored because we start to become insulin resistant and this can lead to excess free oestrogen & testosterone, which in turn can also contribute to weight issues.

4. WAKING DURING THE NIGHT

Do you often wake up around 3am? This can be caused by your Cortisol rising too soon. When this happens our MELATONIN (natural sleep hormone) gets supressed causing you to feel awake. This of course could lead to constant lack of quality, restorative, deep sleep which can cause us to feel tired throughout the day.

5. IMMUNE SYSTEM ISSUES

Constant high levels of Cortisol supresses the immune system and we can find ourselves getting sick more often and taking longer to recover from illnesses/colds.

SOME NATURAL SOLUTIONS THAT MAY HELP:

We all know that a good night’s sleep can do wonders for our body and mind, so simple things to help achieve this can go a long way. Some examples include going to bed at the same time every night, making sure the room is at an optimum temperature, turning off all screens/light as we need full darkness to produce enough Melatonin. You can also support GABA by keeping your magnesium levels at an optimum level. Using a topical (through the skin) magnesium cream /oil or taking a quality magnesium BI glycinate supplement are the most common ways. Transdermal, particularly through the feet, is known to be the best way for absorption and it also helps to bypass the stomach and the liver (quite often our Liver can be already overburdened).

Spending 10 to 15 minutes a day meditating or just sitting quietly, breathing slow and deep can help you build a habit of telling your mind and body to relax before bed, reducing your cortisol levels. Find what helps you be present in the moment, some people enjoy gentle music, nature sounds, watch a flickering candle or whatever you can use to focus on. Just 10 MINUTES a day, preferably round the same time as this can become a habit in no time. Soon this daily short ritual becomes a natural signal to your body and mind to calm and relax and reduce Cortisol.

- TAKE CARE OF YOUR DIET

We may crave sugary or salty snacks when we feel drained but that’s exactly what ends in Cortisol being triggered. Stick to healthy protein, fats and low carbohydrates and keep stimulants (e.g. coffee) to a minimum i.e. morning only. 

- GENTLE DAILY EXERCISE

When Cortisol is high then it is best to stick to more gentle forms of exercise rather than putting your body under further stress with strenuous exercise. Go for a walk, yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, some gentle gardening, dancing, just something to gently get you moving. 

- HERBAL REMEDIES

Apart from magnesium you can look at supplements such as Ashwagandha, Lions mane, Rhodiola, Lemon Balm, Valerian, Chamomile to name a few can help with sleep, mood and more. Check with your doctor before taking any new supplements if you are taking medications as sometimes interactions can occur.

- COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

One to the best complementary therapies for stress must be REFLEXOLOGY as it works on the nervous system which is connected to every organ and gland of the body and can help tremendously with so many conditions both physical and emotional.

Others include Aromatherapy, Acupuncture, Havening Techniques, Hypnotherapy and many others. If you try the above for a while and find you are still struggling or showing signs of very high Cortisol (like muscle weakness, rounded face, high blood pressure, stretch marks etc) contact your doctor for advice. Prolonged high levels of cortisol over long periods of time can be a sign of Cushing’s syndrome which may need medical attention.

DISCLAIMER: This advice does not replace medical advice from your doctor. It is for educational purposes only. 

Written by Moira at Pinecrest, www.pinecrest.ie

Certified Menopause Wellness Practitioner

Fertility & Hormone Health Coach

Owner of Pinecrest Natural Skincare & Holistic Therapies.