Control Cortisol Rhythm to Prevent Burnout

A different way to think about cortisol

Picture this: you wake up, you technically slept, but you feel flat. Then later, when you finally want to power down, your brain feels oddly alert.

This video’s big reframe is that cortisol is not just a “stress hormone.” The more useful lens is cortisol as an energy deployment hormone, a system that helps move fuel into the bloodstream and direct that fuel to tissues that need it, especially the brain.

That matters because the goal is not “lower cortisol at all costs.” The goal is timing.

When cortisol is high at the wrong time, like late evening, it can feel like insomnia, rumination, or being “tired but wired.” When cortisol is low at the wrong time, like early morning, it can feel like low drive, low mood, and sluggish thinking.

Pro Tip: Instead of asking “How do I lower cortisol?” try asking “Is my cortisol high when it should be high, and low when it should be low?” That single shift changes the entire strategy.

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The cortisol rhythm you are aiming for (and why timing matters)

This framework is simple to remember and surprisingly powerful.

You want cortisol high early in the day, shortly after waking.

You want cortisol low in the hours before sleep and in the early part of the night.

That is the anchor point for the whole discussion. When the rhythm is aligned, sleep quality, daytime energy, and stress resilience tend to improve together. When the rhythm drifts, people often start stacking “fixes” that help temporarily but worsen timing, like late caffeine, late intense workouts, or scrolling in bed.

What is interesting about this approach is that it treats your day like a biological sequence, not a set of isolated hacks. Tools that are helpful at 7:30 a.m. can be unhelpful at 7:30 p.m.

Why the first hour after waking is “special”

A unique point emphasized here is the first 60 to 90 minutes after waking. That window is presented as a daily opportunity to reinforce the natural morning rise in cortisol.

After that window, you cannot “recreate morning” later in the day. You can still influence cortisol, but not in the same foundational way.

This idea pairs well with what sleep researchers call the circadian system, your internal clock that coordinates hormones, temperature, alertness, and sleep drive. Light, activity, and meal timing can all act as time cues. A helpful overview of circadian biology is available from the National Institute of General Medical SciencesTrusted Source.

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What cortisol actually does in the body, energy first

Cortisol is described here as a hormone that helps deploy energy.

In practical terms, cortisol helps increase available fuel by raising blood glucose (blood sugar). It does this by influencing energy release from the liver and muscles, including stored carbohydrate (glycogen) in the liver.

This is why cortisol is not “bad.” You need it to get out of bed, think clearly, focus, and meet demands. In the short term, cortisol is part of normal performance physiology.

A key biological detail is that cortisol is lipophilic (fat-loving), which means it can move through cell membranes. Unlike adrenaline, cortisol can cross the blood-brain barrier relatively easily, and the brain has many cortisol receptors.

One region highlighted is the hippocampus, a brain area involved in memory. That matters later, because chronic stress physiology can involve changes in brain regions that help regulate the stress response.

Did you know? Cortisol is a steroid hormone, meaning it is derived from cholesterol. Steroid hormones include cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen.

For a broader medical overview of cortisol and adrenal hormones, the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlusTrusted Source provides a patient-friendly summary.

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The four phases of cortisol across sleep and wake

This episode leans on a classic finding: cortisol is not steady. It follows a daily pattern with distinct phases.

Here is the rhythm, translated into real life.

Phase 1: Very low cortisol around bedtime

Cortisol is at its minimum in a window that starts about 4 hours before lights out and continues until about 2 hours after you turn out the lights.

This is one reason late-night stress, work, bright light, or intense exercise can feel so disruptive. They are trying to push alertness biology into a time the system is built to keep cortisol low.

Phase 2: A small rise in the middle of the night

In roughly the third to fifth hour of sleep, cortisol begins a slight rise.

This is not a failure of your system. It is part of normal physiology.

Phase 3: A fast rise in the final hours of sleep

In the sixth, seventh, and eighth hour of sleep, cortisol rises quickly.

The discussion connects this to REM sleep, when brain activity is high and energy demand increases. More brain activity requires more fuel, and cortisol helps make that fuel available.

A practical implication is almost blunt: if you consistently sleep only 6 hours, you may miss part of the natural late-sleep cortisol rise that helps you feel alert upon waking.

Phase 4: The cortisol awakening response (CAR)

When you wake up, cortisol continues rising. This is the cortisol awakening response, often abbreviated CAR.

The key point is that you do not wake up only because you “decided to.” Your body is already preparing you to wake by shifting hormones in the final hours of sleep.

What the research shows: The cortisol awakening response is a well-described phenomenon in human physiology, with cortisol typically rising after waking as part of normal circadian regulation. A detailed overview is available in the National Library of MedicineTrusted Source.

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How cortisol is made and self-regulated (HPA axis, in plain language)

To control something, it helps to know how it is controlled.

Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands, but the instruction to make it starts in the brain. The system is often called the HPA axis, short for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Here is the sequence described, without the jargon overload.

Then comes the elegant part.

Cortisol helps regulate itself through a negative feedback loop. As cortisol rises in the bloodstream, the brain detects that rise and reduces CRH output, which reduces ACTH output, which reduces new cortisol production.

When cortisol is low, the brain increases CRH, and the whole chain ramps up again.

This is why the rhythm can be stable when things are working well. It is also why chronic disruption can become self-reinforcing, because the “thermostat” can become less sensitive over time.

For a medical overview of the HPA axis and stress physiology, see this explanation from the Endocrine Society’s Hormone Health NetworkTrusted Source.

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Stress vs cortisol, fast alarm vs slower fuel delivery

Stress feels immediate.

Your heart rate jumps, your attention narrows, your pupils widen, and your body shifts into action. That rapid shift is driven largely by adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine, which can change your state in seconds.

Cortisol is different. It is slower.

The timeline described here is that cortisol takes time to be synthesized and released, often on the order of minutes. The episode notes roughly 10 minutes for cortisol’s contribution to ramp after an acute stressor.

This helps explain a common experience: the stressful event ends, but you still feel “activated.” Your fast alarm system turned on quickly, and your slower fuel-delivery system may still be catching up.

This distinction also matters for burnout. If your days are filled with repeated stress triggers, you may be repeatedly stacking adrenaline spikes and cortisol bumps on top of an already abnormal daily rhythm.

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Burnout patterns: “wired and tired,” morning anxiety, and night energy

This discussion treats burnout less like a personality flaw and more like a physiology pattern.

A classic presentation described is:

That pattern often suggests cortisol timing is off. Instead of a strong morning rise and a gradual daytime decline, the curve can flatten or shift later.

One reason this matters is that cortisol interacts with sleep architecture. Early night sleep is normally rich in deep sleep, which tends to align with low cortisol. Late night sleep includes more REM, which aligns with rising cortisol. If cortisol is high too early at night, sleep can become lighter and more fragmented.

Another nuance is that people can misinterpret symptoms. If you feel anxious in the morning, it can be tempting to assume cortisol must be high. But this framework leaves room for a different possibility: if the morning cortisol rise is weak, you may feel under-energized, then compensate with worry, rushing, or stimulants.

Important: Burnout symptoms can overlap with depression, anxiety disorders, thyroid conditions, anemia, sleep apnea, perimenopause, medication side effects, and more. If symptoms are intense, persistent, or worsening, it is worth discussing with a licensed clinician.

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How to support a healthier cortisol day, a time-based plan

This is where the episode’s “control” theme becomes actionable. The guiding principle is to reinforce the natural rhythm, not fight it.

Below is a structured plan that follows the video’s timing logic. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for care, but it can help you experiment safely with routine changes.

A morning-to-night cortisol rhythm checklist

Short closing thought: the goal is not perfection. It is a trend line.

How to do this in practice (step-by-step)

»MORE: If you want a simple tool, create a one-page “Cortisol Rhythm Tracker” with three daily ratings: morning energy, afternoon crash, and bedtime alertness. Track for 14 days before changing anything, then adjust one variable at a time.

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Nuances and edge cases that change the plan

A rhythm-based approach is powerful, but real life is messy.

Here are common situations where you may need to adapt rather than force a rigid routine.

Shift work and irregular schedules

If you work nights or rotating shifts, your cortisol rhythm can become misaligned with your sleep. In that case, the “high in the morning, low at night” rule still applies, but your “morning” may be 5:00 p.m.

The practical focus becomes: set a consistent sleep block when possible, use bright light strategically during your “day,” and keep your “night” dark and low stimulation.

Guidance for shift work sleep issues is discussed by the American Academy of Sleep MedicineTrusted Source.

People who feel best with later nights

Some people are natural “night owls” (delayed chronotype). For them, trying to adopt an extremely early schedule overnight can backfire.

A more realistic approach is to shift gradually, protect the first hour after waking (whenever that is), and reduce late-night bright light exposure that can push the clock even later.

High performers who train hard

If intense exercise is always placed late evening, it can be harder to keep cortisol low before bed. That does not mean you must stop training. It means you may want to experiment with moving hard sessions earlier, or using lower-intensity training later.

When “lower cortisol” becomes the wrong goal

If you are exhausted in the morning, chasing relaxation all day can sometimes worsen the problem. You may need more daytime activation and more nighttime downshift.

This is the heart of the video’s perspective: your system needs contrast.

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When to get medical help and what to ask about

It is reasonable to experiment with routine changes, but some symptoms deserve a medical conversation.

Consider getting clinical guidance if you have:

Q: Should I get my cortisol tested if I feel burned out?

A: It depends on your symptoms and your clinician’s judgment. Cortisol varies across the day, so a single random blood draw can be hard to interpret without timing context. In some cases, clinicians use timed saliva, blood, or urine testing to evaluate specific concerns.

If you are worried about a true cortisol disorder (too high or too low), or you have physical signs that concern you, it is worth asking your primary care clinician or an endocrinologist what testing is appropriate.

Andrew Huberman, PhD (as presented in the episode’s educational framework)

A patient-friendly overview of Cushing syndrome (one cause of high cortisol) is available from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesTrusted Source.

Q: Why do I get a burst of energy at night when I am exhausted all day?

A: One possibility is that your alertness biology is drifting later, so cortisol and related arousal signals are not declining enough in the evening. Another possibility is behavioral, late light exposure, late work stress, or late stimulants can keep the nervous system activated.

If this pattern is frequent, tracking sleep timing, caffeine timing, evening light, and stressors for two weeks can help you and a clinician spot the most likely drivers.

Health writer summary of the episode’s rhythm-based model

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Key Takeaways