Prolonged tension
When stress is prolonged, cortisol levels can remain high for a long time, disrupting the body's natural circadian rhythm, especially causing cortisol to rise in the evening - when this hormone should be reduced.
This condition causes the sympathetic nervous system to be constantly inactive, while the parasympathetic nervous system - which plays a role in helping the body relax and recover - cannot be effective. In the long run, increased cortisol due to chronic stress can increase the risk of insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression.
Lack of sleep, poor quality sleep
The habit of staying up late to surf social media, watch movies or work can disrupt the cortisol secretion cycle. People who regularly do not get enough sleep often have higher cortisol levels at night.
In healthy people, cortisol drops to the lowest level in the early evening and gradually increases to peak in the morning. However, prolonged sleep deprivation causes this difference to narrow, disrupting hormone secretion.
Not only causing fatigue and lack of alert during the day, increased cortisol in the evening also promotes insulin resistance, reducing blood sugar control, hormone disorders, increasing appetite and contributing to visceral fat accumulation as well as increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Poor sleep and high cortisol can form a vicious cycle: lack of sleep increases cortisol, while high cortisol makes it harder for you to sleep. To break this cycle, maintain a regular sleep schedule, sleep 7 - 9 hours per night and prioritize sleep quality.
