How to Lower Cortisol Levels at Night
Stress is a physiological response to all of these things listed. Our bodies gear up to protect us to literally run or fight it. Cortisol, our stress hormone, is released and blood sugar, blood pressure, and breathing rate rise to have oxygen and energy. Digestion and reproduction take a back seat because it is not deemed important at this moment until the threat is handled. Chronic stress can lead to imbalances in the body over time.
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When we wake up in the morning, we get a burst of cortisol to allow us to be motivated to start the day and to get out of bed, and as the day goes on the cortisol will decrease to normal levels so that you feel tired by the end of the day. At this time, your cortisol levels should be at their lowest point. Many women do not have this cycle of cortisol because if you are not getting enough sleep or not getting enough quality of sleep this can inhibit cortisol from dropping throughout the day, and it can cause a spike to occur before bed. A cortisol spike in the evening may be behind your inability to fall asleep, nighttime racing thoughts, or insomnia.
Symptoms of high cortisol levels:
Insomnia
Brain fog
Sugar cravings
Period problems
Anxiety
Racing thoughts
Blood sugar imbalances
High blood pressure
Indigestion
Here are 12 ways for how to lower cortisol levels at night
1. Cut Caffeine By Noon
Cutting caffeine by noon is one of the ways for how to lower cortisol levels at night. It's common to reach for a cup of coffee if you feel an afternoon slump. Caffeine is a stimulant and the effects of consuming later in the day can affect the ability to sleep and the quality of your sleep. If you’re not getting good quality sleep you’re less likely to wake up feeling rested. Research supports that caffeine can impact the quality of sleep when consumed later in the day. Set a cut off time of 2 pm, opt for a non-coffee alternative, use a smaller mug, and limit caffeine as the day progresses for optimal sleep at night.
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2. Epsom Salt Bath
Epsom salt baths are another one of the factors for how to lower cortisol levels at night. Epsom salts are actually magnesium salts (not sodium salt like we use for food). Magnesium helps to relax muscles. These baths are a great way to relax before bed and melt away stress from the day. If you are tense from the day then this is a beneficial way to unwind. In as little as 15 minutes you'll get all the relaxing benefits and is a great evening routine idea!
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3. Holy Basil Tea
Another great way for how to lower cortisol levels at night is to drink holy basil tea. Native to Asia, holy basil is a shrub in, yes, the basil family. It is also one of the supplements for reducing stress and the cortisol spike at night. Two phytochemical compounds in holy basil, ocimumosides A and B, are found to reduce cortisol levels. It is recommended to take holy basil either as a supplement or in tea.
4. Deep Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing is another great way for how to lower cortisol levels at night. Deep breathing allows the reduction in stress and total cortisol levels. This is beneficial because the breathing can slow your heart rate, decrease blood pressure, which will stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This nervous system is what calms our body down versus the sympathetic nervous system which stimulates the stress response.
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5. Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is another way for how to lower cortisol levels at night. This type of yoga is focused on slow paced movements which utilize chinese medicine ideologies. Doing this type of yoga before bed are great ways to relieve stress and tension at the end of a long day, especially if you're sitting at your desk for most of it. Try adding deep breathing to your stretching routine. This will get your body ready for a restful night sleep + improve your overall quality of sleep. Yin or restorative yoga are great options to relax before bed. Try a 20-minute video on YouTube.
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6. Dim the Lights
Another way for how to lower cortisol levels at night is to dim the lights. Aim to dim your lighting at least an hour before bed, if not longer. Low light signals to your body to begin producing melatonin, your sleep hormone, so your body can start winding down. Avoid bright overhead lights. Lamps are great for dim mood lighting or use the dimmer switch if you have one. Blue light from electronics can also mess up your circadian rhythm because it makes your brain think it is not night time, over time this chronically impact cortisol levels. Melatonin is the chemical in our brain that responds to light, so when it is dark it is released to help us sleep.
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7. Meditation
Meditation is another one one of the ways for how to lower cortisol levels at night. Even a short 3-5 minute meditation is a great way to clear out any stuck energy from the day. Meditation allows your brain to calm down and enter a state where theta waves are predominant. When we are awake and alert our brain has beta waves. Alpha waves bridge beta to theta. Theta waves are where we experience deep relaxation. Try the app Insight Timer. There are some great meditations for sleep that can help you to relax before bed.
8. CBD
CBD or Cannabidol is an active ingredient from the hemp plant that has many beneficial effects. One of them is that it is one of the ways for how to lower cortisol levels at night. This is because CBD has been found to decrease cortisol because it can help regulate your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
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9. Get Off Electronics
Getting off the electronics is another important way for how to lower cortisol levels at night. As mentioned, the blue light from electronics can alter the body's circadian rhythm tricking you into thinking it's daytime. This affects your melatonin production - your sleep hormone. We're also on information overload from our day, emails, marketing messaging, etc. Give your brain a break and put away electronics at least one hour before bed so that you can relax before bed, not feel wired.
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10. Incorporate a Night Routine
Incorporating a night time routine every day is an important way for how to lower cortisol levels at night. An evening routine gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day to wind down, release stress, relax before bed, and prepare your body for a restful night’s sleep. Our body enjoys patterns, when we do the same things before bed, it will become trained to fall asleep better and lower cortisol accordingly. When we sleep better we feel better overall. It can be easy to feel that we have to create this elaborate evening routine, but really it can be something as simple as putting your phone away and lighting your favorite candle so you can relax before bed.
Source: NIH
11. Lavender Oil
Another one of the ways for how to lower cortisol levels at night is to use lavender oil. Lavender oil has many antioxidant, anti-depression, and anti-inflammatory effects which are great properties to reduce anxiety and stress before bed. Anxiety is a major cause for anxiety for people which disrupts the cortisol balance at night. In a randomized controlled trial, lavender was beneficial in reducing anxiety symptoms in over 200 patients compared to the placebo. Lavender was also compared to a common anxiety prescription called lorazepam, and in a 6week trial with all Generalized anxiety patients, the lavender treated group had better outcomes of reduced symptoms.
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12. Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate is another one of the ways for how to lower cortisol at night. Magnesium glycinate is the most readily absorbed form of magnesium that you can take in supplement form. You can think of magnesium as our calming and relaxing mineral. It helps to loosen tight muscles, maintain the health of our muscles (including our heart – the most important muscle), prevent migraine headaches, and balance blood sugar. Because magnesium balances hormones it helps to lower cortisol at night.
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