The Cortisol-Sleep Connection Nobody Explains Properly

If you've ever found yourself lying in bed exhausted but unable to fall asleep, feeling wide awake at 10pm, or waking around 3am with your mind racing, it's easy to assume you have a sleep problem…

While that may be true for some people, I wonder if it's also worth becoming curious about another possibility? What if your body is simply responding to everything it has carried throughout the day and week - the demands, responsibilities and mental load you've been holding?

So often, when sleep becomes difficult, we focus all of our attention on the hour before bed. We buy sleep supplements, try meditation or search for the perfect wind-down routine. While these things can absolutely be supportive, I also wonder what might change if we zoomed out and looked at everything that happened before your head even hit the pillow. 

From a somatic perspective, our ability to experience deep, restorative sleep is closely connected to the health of our nervous system. Sleep is often influenced by how much stress, stimulation and demand our body has been carrying and whether we've given ourselves opportunities to slow that down.

Cortisol Is Not The Enemy

One part of this picture is cortisol, often referred to as our ‘stress hormone’. Cortisol plays an important role in helping us wake up, respond to challenges and move through the day. But when we're living with ongoing stress, constant stimulation or very little time to recover, it can become harder for our cortisol rhythm to naturally settle as night time approaches. 

What Might Be Keeping Your Cortisol Switched On?

Our body is constantly taking in information. Every rushed morning, skipped meal, late-afternoon coffee, back-to-back commitments without a break, difficult situations or evenings completely spent on screens sends our nervous system information about whether it needs to stay alert or whether it's safe to begin slowing down.

You might notice some of these everyday habits in your own life:

• skipping meals or relying on caffeine later in the day to push through fatigue
• rushing from one task to the next without taking a break
• rarely getting outside for daylight or movement
• working late into the evening after working all day
• checking emails or scrolling before bed
• binge watching shows late into the night
• mentally carrying tomorrow's to-do list still when going to rest

While each of these habits or behaviours may seem small on their own, together they increase the amount of stress and stimulation our nervous system is processing throughout the day, making it more difficult for the body to transition into rest mode.

Supporting Your Nervous System Throughout The Day

Instead of only asking ‘How do I sleep better?’ perhaps we could also ask: ‘How stressed have I felt lately?’ 

We all have demands that we navigate through work, relationships and our health, but it’s important to learn how to listen to the symptoms of our body and the state of our nervous system. Without creating opportunities to pause or slow down, our body learns to stay in a constant state of stress and dysregulation. More often than not, it’s through creating small, intentional choices that support your body to feel safe to slow down.

Some small ways you can support stress can include:

• Eating balanced meals throughout the day to support stable blood sugar
• Reducing caffeine later in the afternoon if you notice it affects your sleep
• Building in small breaks between tasks
• Getting outside for some daylight and movement
• Finishing work where possible before beginning your evening wind-down
• Holding boundaries between work and home, to support switching off ‘work mode’
• Dimming the lights after sunset and reduce stimulation as bedtime approaches

Supporting Your Sleep with Nu Harvest

Nu Harvest offer products that can support you to bring more regulation and balance into your night.

Creatine is one of my favourite daily staples for supporting energy production. When our energy feels more supported throughout the day, we may feel less tempted to rely on multiple coffees or push ourselves through fatigue.

Consistent nourishment also plays an important role in supporting both our nervous system and our hormones. Thrive Plant Protein is a simple way to increase your protein intake, whether it's in a smoothie, overnight oats or mixed into your breakfast, helping to create more sustained energy throughout the day.

As evening approaches, think about creating a ritual that tells your body it's safe to switch gears. A warm cup of Moon Mylk, low lighting, a few slow breaths or reading a couple of pages of a book can all become cues that the day is coming to an end. With ingredients including magnesium, passionflower, lemon balm and L-tryptophan, Moon Mylk supports relaxation while becoming part of a calming ritual your nervous system begins to recognise night after night.

A Different Way To Think About Sleep

If sleep has been feeling difficult lately, see if you become curious to what has my body been responding to today? Have I given myself opportunities to slow down, nourish myself and regulate throughout the day? We can’t force ourselves into restorative sleep. It is something our body naturally allows when it feels safe enough to let go.
If you're looking to support your body from morning through to night, Creatine, Plant Protein and Moon Mylk can become simple, supportive additions to your daily routine. You can use my code SOPHIAP15 at checkout for 15% off your order.