When the adrenal glands are stressed by chronic production of high amounts of cortisol, they will produce less and less cortisol in an attempt to make you rest and recover. If we all could live stress free lives and get 8–10 hours of solid deep sleep, this would never happen. The severe form of adrenal fatigue is called Addison’s disease. The modern medical world does not currently recognize any other form of adrenal insufficiency.
Adrenal cortisol production is highest in the morning—it wakes us up and gets us going each day. It is lowest at night and allows us deep sleep. Cortisol also is produced when we stand up to keep our blood pressure up so we don’t get dizzy. Additionally, cortisol helps keep blood sugar at healthy baseline levels. After a meal with high carbohydrates or sugars, insulin is produced to get glucose into our cells, so then sugar levels drop. It is then the role of cortisol to raise it back to baseline again.
When cortisol is low due to imbalance and improper production, we can feel tired all day or just certain times of the day. Brain fog is also common. Cortisol is key to helping your body cope with stress, so when our cortisol is low and we are under a lot of stress, it's easier to feel overwhelmed or triggered by minor things.
