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.

Cortisol deserves a deeper conversation, because it’s one of your body’s most vital hormones. It helps you wake up in the morning, fuels you through the day, keeps inflammation in check, balances blood sugar, and even supports memory and focus. The problem isn’t cortisol itself — it’s when its natural rhythm becomes disrupted.

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.

What Happens When the Loop is Disrupted

Modern life isn’t kind to cortisol’s natural rhythm. Too much stress, poor sleep, stimulants like coffee, irregular eating, trauma, or underlying health issues can throw the HPA axis off track.

This can look like:

Cortisol staying too high for too long → wired but tired, anxiety, high blood pressure, weight gain (especially around the middle).
Cortisol dipping too low → exhaustion, low resilience to stress, dizziness, frequent infections.
Cortisol rhythm flipping → waking up exhausted but feeling “switched on” at night (hello, insomnia).

Over time, a disrupted cortisol cycle is linked with conditions like:

Chronic fatigue
Insulin resistance / type 2 diabetes
Thyroid dysfunction
Burnout
Mood disorders (anxiety, depression)
Hormonal imbalances

Sleep: The Missing Piece

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

Your cortisol rhythm is tightly linked to your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock). When you sleep well, cortisol naturally peaks in the morning to help you wake up, then steadily tapers down toward night, preparing you for rest.

But poor sleep — whether from staying up late, irregular schedules, blue light at night, or untreated issues like sleep apnea — disrupts this cycle. The result? Cortisol may spike at the wrong times (keeping you awake at night), dip when you need it (afternoon crashes), or stay chronically high (leaving you anxious and inflamed).

This is something I talk about with patients almost daily in clinic, because sleep is one of the most powerful levers we have for restoring balance.

I’ll be sharing a full deep-dive post soon on sleep and circadian rhythm — so stay tuned for practical tips you can start applying right away.

Cortisol’s Wider Impact

Cortisol doesn’t work in isolation — it affects almost every system in the body. Here’s where I see it most in clinic:

Skin Health

High cortisol increases sebum (oil) production → more breakouts.
Can flare eczema, psoriasis, and hives during stressful periods.

Hormones

Cortisol and sex hormones share the same “building block” (pregnenolone).
Chronic stress prioritises cortisol → leaving fewer resources for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Results can include: low libido, irregular cycles, PMS, or low testosterone in men (fatigue, poor recovery, low drive).

Gut Health

Cortisol can alter gut permeability (“leaky gut”) and shift the microbiome.
High stress = more bloating, reflux, “IBS”-like flares.
This is the gut-brain-adrenal axis in action.

Immunity

In short bursts, cortisol reduces harmful inflammation (which is protective).
Chronically high cortisol = lowered immune resilience → frequent infections, slow recovery.
Chronically low cortisol = exaggerated inflammation → allergies, autoimmune flares.

Signs Your Cortisol May Be Out of Balance

Constant fatigue, even after rest
Difficulty waking up or staying asleep
Afternoon crashes or sugar cravings
Feeling “tired but wired” at night
Unexplained weight gain (especially around the belly)
Frequent illnesses or slow recovery from colds
Low mood, brain fog, or poor concentration

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