Lack of sleep and prolonged stress can disrupt the natural rhythm of the hormone cortisol, which plays a vital role in regulating the body's response to stress, metabolism, and sleep-wake cycles.
Reporting from the Eating Well page on Saturday, endocrinologist Maram Khalifa said that cortisol is not actually a hormone that should be avoided because it has important functions for the body.
"Cortisol is the body's natural alarm system. Its levels normally peak in the morning to help us wake up and decrease at night to allow the body to rest," he said.
However, according to Khalifa, a number of daily habits can disrupt this natural pattern, especially chronic stress and lack of sleep.
He explained that persistent stress causes the body to maintain elevated cortisol levels for extended periods. This can disrupt the daily rhythm of cortisol, particularly by increasing levels at night when the hormone should be at its lowest.
As a result, it becomes more difficult for the body to enter the relaxation and recovery phase needed to maintain health.
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health
