The adrenal glands are the link between chronic stress and the devastating effects of long-term cortisol elevation, including fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, hormone imbalance and weight gain. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and help regulate blood pressure, blood mineral content and the body’s response to danger or stress. They also help maintain healthy thyroid function and are very important in blood sugar regulation and immune function. Thus, the adrenals are pretty important.
One of the main functions of the adrenal glands is to produce the hormones that help us deal with stress. Adrenaline, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are the biggest players in the stress hormone response. The following graph shows how cortisol production varies with acute and chronic stress throughout the day.
Note that under optimal conditions, cortisol production is highest in the morning (allowing us to be the most awake, alert and ready to take on the world), and tapers off throughout the day. Low night-time cortisol levels allow us to fall asleep easily and achieve deep, restful sleep.
Contrast this with a person that is under acute stress; here we see an “inverted” cortisol pattern where cortisol rises throughout the day. This allows a person to get more done throughout the day, but often leads to anxiety, feeling “wired” and an inability to “turn-off” the mind, especially before going to bed, which can cause difficulty sleeping.
Under extended periods of chronic stress, the body’s ability to adapt becomes compromised. As a result, cortisol production actually decreases. People in this situation often feel very tired throughout the day, no matter how much they sleep. They often struggle with accomplishing even routine things and usually feel depressed and unmotivated. They may turn to food and/or drugs to help them temporarily feel better, creating a longer-term dependency just to function.
Most of the detrimental effects of long term stress come from the cortisol patterns noted above. The next post will show you why.
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