High Cortisol Symptoms:
5 Warning Signs Your Stress Hormone Is Too High
Your jaw is tight before you even get out of bed. Your belly keeps growing, no matter what you eat. And at 3 a.m., you're wide awake with your mind racing.
You've told yourself it's just stress. Just life. Just getting older.
But those signs have something in common. They're all linked to cortisol, your stress hormone, staying too high for too long.
A little cortisol is good. But when it never shuts off, it slowly wears you down.
Here are 5 warning signs your cortisol is too high, and how to help your body bring it back down.
1. You're Wired at Night and Tired in the Morning
Cortisol should be high in the morning and low at night. [1] When it stays high, your body never gets the "off" signal.
So you lie awake. Or you snap awake at 2 or 3 a.m. Then you drag yourself out of bed feeling like you never slept.
And it feeds itself. Just one short night of sleep made cortisol 37% higher the next evening. [2]
2. Weight Piles Up Around Your Belly, Cravings Increase
High cortisol tells your body to store fat around your middle. In one study, women with more belly fat released more cortisol under stress. [3]
And it drives cravings. In another study, women whose cortisol jumped the most under stress ate more calories and more sweets afterward. [4]
It's not a lack of willpower. It's your stress hormone.
3. You Feel Tense, Snappy, and Always on Edge
Little things set you off. You snap at your kids, then feel guilty. Your neck and shoulders are always tight. Your chest feels heavy.
Your stress alarm is stuck "on," and it's draining you.
Here's what most people don't know: stress drains magnesium, your body's calming mineral. And when magnesium runs low, your body reacts to stress even more. Researchers call this a "vicious circle." [5]
About half of Americans don't get enough magnesium to begin with. [6]
Help Your Body Switch Off the Stress Alarm
You know the signs. Tossing and turning at night. Cravings you can't control. Snapping at the people you love.
The real problem isn't you. It's that your body is low on the nutrients it uses to calm stress and bring cortisol back down.
Our Daily Magnesium gives you 420mg of magnesium from 4 easy-to-absorb forms, plus 5000 IU of Vitamin D3 and K2. Both nutrients, together, in one daily formula.
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4. You Feel Run Down and Get Sick More Often
Short bursts of cortisol help your immune system. But when stress drags on, your body stops listening to cortisol the way it should.
In one study, people under long-term stress were more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus. [7]
Low vitamin D makes it worse. Your brain has vitamin D receptors in the areas that control stress, mood, and sleep. [8] And people low in vitamin D have a 50% higher risk of sleep problems, which pushes cortisol even higher. [9]
5. Your Body Is Missing the Nutrients That Calm Cortisol
Here's the good news. You can help your body bring cortisol back down.
In a 24-week study, adults took magnesium with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By the end, their cortisol output was lower than the placebo group's. [10]
In another study, older adults took magnesium for 8 weeks. Their cortisol went down, and they fell asleep faster. [11]
But magnesium has a partner. Your body needs magnesium to turn vitamin D into the form it can use. [12] As Dr. Mohammed Razzaque put it: "Without magnesium, Vitamin D is not really useful or safe." [13]
That's why Daily Magnesium gives you both, together.
Now you know the signs of high cortisol... here's the easiest way to help your body bring it back down.
"I like this product a lot since I think makes me feel calmer and I am able to sleep better." - Alba B., verified Amazon customer
Bring Your Stress Hormone Back Down. Feel Like Yourself Again.
Daily Magnesium refills the two nutrients your body needs to calm the stress alarm.
Just one capsule with each meal to stress less, sleep through the night, and stop running on empty.
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Stress & Sleep Support: Helps calm the stress response so you can relax during the day and sleep at night
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What People Are Saying
Research
American Psychological Association. (2022). Stress in America 2022 survey [Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress
Lovallo, W. R., et al. (2005). Caffeine stimulation of cortisol secretion across the waking hours in relation to caffeine intake levels. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67(5), 734–739. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2257922/
Pickering, G., Mazur, A., Trousselard, M., et al. (2020). Magnesium status and stress: The vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients, 12(12), 3672. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123672
Fulgoni, V. L., Keast, D. R., Bailey, R. L., & Dwyer, J. (2011). Foods, fortificants, and supplements: Where do Americans get their nutrients? Journal of Nutrition, 141(10), 1847–1854. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.142257
Eyles, D. W., Smith, S., Kinobe, R., Hewison, M., & McGrath, J. J. (2005). Distribution of the vitamin D receptor and 1α-hydroxylase in human brain. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, 29(1), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchemneu.2004.08.006
Gao, Q., et al. (2018). The association between vitamin D deficiency and sleep disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 10(10), 1395. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10101395
Leproult, R., Copinschi, G., Buxton, O., & Van Cauter, E. (1997). Sleep loss results in an elevation of cortisol levels the next evening. Sleep, 20(10), 865–870.
Cui, A., et al. (2022). Prevalence, trend, and predictor analyses of vitamin D deficiency in the US population, 2001–2018. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 965376. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.965376
Schutten, J. C., et al. (2021). Long-term magnesium supplementation improves glucocorticoid metabolism: A post-hoc analysis of an intervention trial. Clinical Endocrinology, 94(2), 150–157. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7821302/
Abbasi, B., et al. (2012). The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 17(12), 1161–1169. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3703169/
Uwitonze, A. M., & Razzaque, M. S. (2018). Role of magnesium in vitamin D activation and function. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 118(3), 181–189. https://doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2018.037
American Osteopathic Association. (2018). Press release on the JAOA magnesium and vitamin D review [via ScienceDaily]. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180226122548.htm