Cortisol affects several aspects of your health and helps regulate your body’s response to stress.
Cortisol is an essential steroid hormone that your adrenal glands make and it affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It regulates glucose use, decreases inflammation, regulates blood pressure and helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Your body continuously monitors your cortisol levels to maintain steady levels (homeostasis). High or low cortisol levels can be harmful to your health.
During times of stress, your body releases cortisol after producing ‘fight or flight’ hormones – like adrenaline – ensuring you continue to stay on high alert. Cortisol also triggers the release of glucose (sugar) from your liver in order to provide energy quickly during times of stress.
Cortisol affects your metabolism by helping regulate how your body uses glucose (sugar) for energy. The hormone does this in many ways. For example, cortisol stimulates your pancreas to decrease insulin (which lowers blood sugar) and increase glucagon (which raises blood sugar).
There are several ways of lowering lower cortisol levels:
- Quality sleep – cortisol levels can be disrupted by lack of sleep, disturbed sleep or irregular sleep patterns (like night shifts).
- Physical activities – like walking – which reduces stress and improves sleep quality.
- Deep breathing exercises stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest and digest system).
- Laugh – laughing promotes the release of endorphins and suppresses cortisol. Have some fun!
- Meditation – and listening to 432 Hz music – the calming effects lead to a decrease in the physical symptoms of stress, such as headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue – and lower cortisol levels.
#Cortisol #sleep #meditation #healingmusic