Cortisol is commonly referred to as the “stress hormone,” but it’s really a steroid hormone that regulates multiple parts of your health. Too little or too much cortisol can negatively impact your health.
Cortisol helps your body manage your blood sugar, inflammation, blood pressure, and sleep-wake cycle. It also helps your body manage stress, both acute and chronic, which is where its nickname comes from. When we’re experiencing a lot of stress, our bodies release more cortisol to fuel the alert state and the higher energy we have during acute stress, but over time, this can lead to burnout and other undesirable symptoms if we remain in a high-stress state.
In this article, we’ll cover what causes high cortisol levels, signs of high cortisol, why cortisol spikes at night, and how to address it.
What Causes High Cortisol Levels?
High cortisol levels are normal and even good when we’re experiencing acute stress and our body wants to “rev” up to tackle the cause. Our bodies even release more cortisol in the morning to help us wake up, which is natural and helpful. However, prolonged stress and higher cortisol levels don’t feel good and leave us with a “wired but tired” feeling, among other symptoms.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, high levels of cortisol can be caused by:
- Prolonged stress
- High doses of certain medications
- Medical conditions, such as Cushing’s syndrome, adrenal tumors, and untreated inflammation
If you suspect a medical cause, always consult a medical professional to rule it out or address it.
Signs of High Cortisol Levels
Common signs of high cortisol levels include:
- High blood sugar
- High blood pressure
- Purple stretch marks on the belly
- Bruising easily
- Muscle weakness (especially in the thighs or upper arms)
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Weight gain (especially in the belly or face)
Psychological symptoms are also common. Many people describe feeling “wired but tired,” which is even more obvious when you’re awake at 2 am, exhausted yet unable to rest or fall asleep. Mood swings are another typical symptom, since nobody is going to feel more emotionally stable when their body is stressed out, and they’re sleep-deprived.
One of the most frustrating signs of elevated nighttime cortisol is feeling exhausted throughout the day, only to become wide awake once it's time for bed. Many people describe lying awake with a racing mind, replaying conversations, worrying about work, finances, relationships, or tomorrow's to-do list. While occasional restless nights happen to everyone, ongoing difficulty relaxing at bedtime may be a sign that your body's stress response is struggling to switch into "rest mode" for the evening.
Why Does Cortisol Spike at Night?
Typically, cortisol spikes in the morning to help us rise and shine. In a healthier state, most of us fall asleep and cortisol gradually increases throughout the night, starting a couple of hours after we fall asleep. By the time we wake up, the cortisol peaks, usually around 9 am, giving us a boost of energy and alertness first thing.
If you experience cortisol spikes at night, though, you may experience early morning insomnia, where your cortisol levels are spiking earlier than what’s ideal and keeping you awake.
Unfortunately, this can quickly become a terrible cycle in which your cortisol continues to spike at night due to increased stress from poor sleep the night before. For some, this can happen after just one night of sleep deprivation, while others may need extended periods of poor sleep before their sleep-wake cycle becomes disrupted, according to current research studies.
Supporting yourself with healthy habits is one of the best ways to address this issue.
How Can I Create a Healthy Evening Stress Response?
Sleep at Least 7 Hours Each Night
We know this is a hard one, but it can really make a difference.
Current research shows that participants who slept fewer hours had higher cortisol levels than those who slept longer. Essentially, if you’re currently sleeping less than 7 hours a night, working up to 7 hours per night can lower your cortisol levels and support your overall wellness.
Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Another tip that seems easy to implement, but can be tricky in our chaotic day-to-day lives, is practicing sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is practices and routines that support a better night’s sleep.
Common sleep hygiene practices include:
- Go to bed around the same time each night
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine (i.e., read a book for 10 minutes, sip a hot cup of tea, etc.)
- Avoid daytime habits that sabotage sleep — don’t drink caffeine after lunch, avoid alcohol, and eat your last meal at least three hours before going to bed)
- Keep your bedroom cool. Harvard Health recommends keeping your room’s temperature between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove electronic devices from your bedroom and don’t use your phone for 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Minimize light — try a sleeping mask or curtains to block light
- Prioritize using your bed for sleeping and intimacy (try to avoid working or doing stressful things in the bedroom so your mind associates it with sleep)
- Looking for a relaxing evening ritual? Our Cortisol Cocktail Recipes feature tea, herbs, and other thoughtfully selected ingredients to help make winding down something to look forward to.
Cortisol Rest Tea
Since high cortisol levels are common, we’ve developed our Cortisol Rest Tea specifically to support healthy cortisol levels in the evening. Our tea is a wonderful, supportive addition to any evening routine, featuring caffeine-free honeybush with vibrant berries and tart hibiscus, along with numerous adaptogenic and nervine herbs traditionally used to promote relaxation.
Some of the powerhouse herbs in this tea include ashwagandha root, moringa leaf, and rosehips. We’ve also included a curated blend of calming herbs that encourage reduced nervous tension and help soothe the nervous system, such as lemon balm, skullcap, oat tops, and passion flower.
We love this tea’s bright raspberry lemon flavor with a touch of floral undertones, as it’s a smooth, enjoyable tea to sip at the end of a long day. It's also rich in naturally occurring antioxidants from colorful botanicals such as butterfly pea flower and hibiscus. Butterfly pea flower is particularly valued for its anthocyanin content, while both herbs contribute antioxidant compounds that support overall wellness and complement a relaxing evening routine.
All in all, we recommend pairing a relaxing cup of tea, such as our Cortisol Rest Tea or Viva Las Vagus Tea, with your evening routine to help your body and mind relax and ease into sleep. Prioritizing sleep hygiene and a supportive evening routine can do wonders for nighttime spikes in cortisol levels, helping you naturally work toward a calming, rejuvenating 7 to 9 hours of sleep more consistently.
Looking for daytime support as well? Pair your evening routine with our Cortisol Awake Tea to support a healthy morning stress response and create a thoughtful morning-to-evening herbal wellness routine.*
If you struggle with feeling wired but tired in the morning, elevated cortisol may also be affecting your morning stress response.
Well Wishes,
Herbalist Natalie
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Natalie Hajdu-Voakes is a consulting herbalist and the owner of The Herb Stop, with over 28 years of hands-on experience in crafting herbal remedies and promoting natural wellness. |
*The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products and statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Consult your healthcare provider before use.