When people hear the word cortisol, they often think of it as “the stress hormone.” It gets blamed for weight gain, burnout, fatigue, insomnia — you name it. But cortisol is not your enemy. In fact, without it, you wouldn’t survive.

Pour yourself a cup of tea and get comfortable, because cortisol deserves a proper chat. This little hormone works harder than most people realise — helping you rise in the morning, power through your day, calm inflammation, balance blood sugar, and keep your mind sharp. The problem isn’t cortisol itself — it’s what happens when its natural rhythm is thrown off balance.

What Cortisol Does for You

Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in a daily cycle, peaking in the morning and tapering off at night. This rhythm is called the HPA axis feedback loop (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal).

When it’s working well, cortisol:

Regulates blood sugar → providing steady energy.
Supports immune function → calming inflammation and helping the body respond to threats.
Maintains blood pressure → ensuring healthy circulation.
Supports cognition → helping with focus, learning, and memory.
Prepares the body for stress → giving you that “fight or flight” burst of energy when needed.

In short: cortisol is a survival hormone.

Your Daily Cortisol Rhythm (The Diurnal Curve)

Cortisol doesn’t stay static — it follows a 24-hour pattern known as the diurnal curve.

In a healthy rhythm:

It rises sharply on waking (called the Cortisol Awakening Response), helping you feel alert and stabilising blood sugar.
It peaks mid-morning, fuelling focus and energy.
It gradually tapers off during the afternoon, with small, temporary rises in response to daily stressors like work or exercise.
It reaches its lowest point at night, allowing melatonin to rise so you can rest, repair, and reset.

This wave-like rhythm keeps your hormones, mood, and metabolism in sync.
When it flattens or flips — you feel it: fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, or that familiar “wired but tired” state.

What Happens When the Loop is Disrupted

Modern life isn’t kind to cortisol’s rhythm. Chronic stress, stimulants, skipped meals, poor sleep, unresolved trauma, or underlying health issues can all throw the HPA axis off track.

You might experience:

Cortisol staying high too long → feeling wired, anxious, inflamed, with weight gain around the midsection (where cortisol receptors are most concentrated).
Cortisol dipping too low → feeling flat, exhausted, dizzy, or more prone to infections.
Cortisol rhythm flipping → exhausted in the morning, alert at night — classic insomnia pattern.

Over time, this disruption is linked with:

Chronic fatigue and burnout
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Thyroid dysfunction
Mood disorders (anxiety, depression)
Hormonal imbalances and menstrual irregularities

When Cortisol Production Goes Too Far (or Not Far Enough)

Most cortisol dysregulation is functional — the result of lifestyle and nervous system load — but sometimes, the problem runs deeper.

Cushing’s syndrome → Excess cortisol production (or corticosteroid use).
Signs: weight gain around the trunk, muscle weakness, thinning skin, high blood pressure, mood changes.
Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency) → Too little cortisol (and often aldosterone).
Signs: severe fatigue, low blood pressure, dizziness, salt cravings, skin darkening.
Secondary adrenal insufficiency → The brain (pituitary or hypothalamus) fails to signal cortisol production properly, often from long-term steroid use.

These require medical care — but the functional imbalances many people experience can often be improved with holistic support for sleep, nutrition, and stress regulation.

Sleep: The Missing Piece

One of the most important — and most overlooked — regulators of cortisol is sleep.

Your cortisol rhythm mirrors your circadian rhythm, the body’s 24-hour clock.
When you sleep deeply and consistently, cortisol rises at dawn and falls at dusk — like it’s meant to.
But when sleep is poor — from blue light, late nights, shift work, or untreated sleep apnea — cortisol spikes at the wrong times, leading to fatigue, anxiety, or night-time restlessness.

This is something I talk about almost daily in clinic. Sleep is medicine.
I’ll be sharing a full post soon on sleep and circadian rhythm — practical ways to restore your natural cycle.

Cortisol’s Wider Impact

Cortisol touches nearly every system in the body. Here’s where I see it show up most often:

Skin Health — High cortisol increases oil production and inflammation → more breakouts, eczema flares, or psoriasis during stress. Low cortisol can slow wound healing and skin recovery.
Hormonal Health — Cortisol and sex hormones share the same precursor — pregnenolone. When stress is chronic, cortisol production takes priority, leaving fewer resources for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
The result? Irregular cycles, PMS, low libido, fatigue, and poor recovery after exercise.
Gut Health — Cortisol affects gut motility, permeability (“leaky gut”), and microbiome balance. Too much stress = more bloating, reflux, and IBS-like flares — clear evidence of the gut–brain–adrenal axis in action.
Immune Function — In short bursts, cortisol calms inflammation (a protective effect). But when elevated chronically, immunity weakens — leading to frequent illness. When too low, inflammation runs unchecked — worsening allergies or autoimmune flares.

Signs Your Cortisol May Be Out of Balance

Constant fatigue, even after rest
Difficulty waking up or staying asleep
Afternoon energy crashes
Feeling “tired but wired” at night
Weight gain around the midsection
Frequent colds or slow recovery
Brain fog or poor concentration
Low mood or apathy

Practices to Support Cortisol Balance Naturally

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight to bring cortisol back into rhythm — small, consistent shifts are what make the biggest difference. Here are some foundational practices that can help regulate cortisol naturally and support your body’s stress response from a naturopathic lens:

Morning light exposure → Step outside within 30 minutes of waking. Sunlight signals the brain it’s daytime, resetting your internal clock and aligning cortisol with melatonin.
Balanced blood sugar → Skipping meals or living on caffeine sends cortisol on a rollercoaster.
Include protein, fats, and fibre in every meal — eggs, avocado, nuts, seeds, fish, and slow-cooked whole foods. Stable blood sugar = stable mood, hormones, and energy.
Nervous system reset → Your HPA axis follows your nervous system’s lead.
Try deep breathing, yoga, journalling, singing (activates the vagus nerve), or gentle nature walks. These shift you into rest and repair mode.
Move — but don’t overdo it → Exercise regulates cortisol, but overtraining without rest can raise it further.
Cycle your movement — strength, cardio, and rest days — and honour your body’s feedback.
Herbal allies (with practitioner guidance) → Adaptogens and nervines can be powerful when prescribed appropriately. Herbs like ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, licorice, and reishi support resilience and HPA-axis tone — but correct selection, dosing, and timing are key.
Prioritise deep, consistent sleep → Sleep is when cortisol resets, the brain detoxifies, and hormones recalibrate.
Keep a regular sleep–wake routine, avoid blue light after dark, and create a restful environment.
Support adrenal nourishment → If cortisol has been low for a while, focus on rebuilding with mineral-rich foods (sea salt, bone broth, leafy greens) and B-vitamin-rich whole foods for steady energy.
Connection and pleasure → Cortisol drops when you feel safe, seen, and supported. Time with loved ones, pets, laughter, music, and affection all raise oxytocin — the antidote to stress.

Why Quick Fixes Don’t Work

Here’s the important part: you don’t “fix” cortisol by doing a detox, cutting out food groups, or pushing through with more coffee. Those approaches can actually make things worse. Cortisol imbalances aren’t just about the hormone itself — they’re a signal that the whole system needs attention.

Healing involves looking at the full picture: your sleep, your diet, your stress load, your nervous system, and your environment. This is why a personalised approach matters — because your story is unique.

Sev’s Final Thoughts

Cortisol is not a villain — it’s a messenger. When it’s high, low, or simply out of sync, it’s your body waving a flag and asking for help. If you’ve read this and thought, “This sounds like me,” I want you to know: you’re not broken, and your body isn’t failing you. It’s communicating.

As a naturopath, I don’t just look at the numbers on a test or slap on a quick fix. I work with the whole picture — your sleep, your hormones, your nutrition, your stress load, your environment — to restore the rhythm your body is craving.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, let’s explore what’s really going on together. You don’t have to live in survival mode — balance is possible.

Cortisol: More Than A Stress Hormone