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The Healf Source
Why You Should Spike Your Cortisol Levels In The Morning
The neurotransmitter gets a bad rap, but science shows we actually need these spikes for optimal health and wellbeing. Here's how to raise cortisol levels the right way.
Written by: Sam Neame
Written on: March 9, 2026
Cortisol gets a pretty bad rap. The pervasive narrative in the wellbeing world is that this little neurotransmitter is only related to bad things (think: stress, weight gain, and emotional load) and is in constant need of being downshifted. But the truth is, little spikes of cortisol in the morning are not only a completely natural part of our biology, but an absolutely essential element in regulating your circadian rhythm and overall wellbeing. The steroid hormone affects almost every single organ and tissue in your body, and isn't just helpful in regulating your body's response to stress. In the correct doses, it's actually key to decreasing inflammation and regulating blood pressure and metabolism.
Of course, you can have too much of a good thing, which is why cortisol has the reputation it does. And it’s certainly important to manage your cortisol spikes. Here’s what experts have to say about the importance of cortisol, breaking down the science behind the complex neurotransmitter.
What is cortisol?
At the most basic level, cortisol is a key steroid hormone that our body produces in the adrenal glands. Its main role is helping the body adjust to stress while also helping control metabolism, blood pressure, and sleep-wake cycles.
Cortisol has become shorthand for “stress” in our world today, and it’s often blamed for poor sleep, weight gain, anxiety, or burnout. But cortisol itself isn’t the problem. In fact, we need it. The problem lies in continually elevated levels of cortisol that have become very common thanks to our phones, busy lives, and schedules.
You may not think about cortisol when you wake up in the morning, but your body does. Each morning, cortisol naturally rises as part of what scientists have called “the cortisol awakening response” — one of the ways your biology shifts from sleep into wakefulness. Without that jolt of alertness, it would be a lot more difficult to get out of bed and get on with your day.
While cortisol is called a “stress hormone," it also helps mobilise energy, support blood sugar balance, and plays a role in regulating inflammation. In the right doses at the right time, it helps you feel awake and mentally present. As neuroscientist and Huberman Lab podcaster Andrew Huberman has explained, cortisol is actually better understood as an energy-deploying hormone rather than simply a stress signal.
It’s part of a complex signalling system that helps the body adapt to both activity and rest, says Carla Digirolamo, MD, PhD, an ob-gyn, reproductive endocrinologist and menopause practitioner. The key is not suppressing cortisol, but rather, strengthening the lifestyle conditions that allow the system to recalibrate naturally.
Why do we need cortisol to rise in the morning?
In the early hours of the day, cortisol naturally climbs. Recent studies point to the fact that cortisol rises in the morning as part of your circadian rhythm, often peaking around 30 to 45 minutes after waking. That rise warms the body slightly, increases alertness, and prepares the brain for focus. It’s part of your wider circadian rhythm, the pattern that influences sleep, digestion, mood, and hormone signalling across 24 hours.
That spike is normal and necessary. People run into trouble when their circadian rhythm becomes dysregulated. Late nights, irregular sleep, constant artificial light, and morning scrolling can all confuse the signals your body relies on. Over time, you might notice feeling groggy in the morning but wired late at night. Energy dips can become more pronounced. Coffee starts doing more of the heavy lifting. Often, this isn’t about producing “too much” cortisol. It’s about timing.
Dr. DiGirolamo points out that the most effective way to support healthy cortisol patterns is not to target the hormone directly, but to address the root causes of chronic stress — sleep, nutrition, and lifestyle load.
How to support your natural cortisol rhythms
Rather than trying to increase cortisol artificially, it can be more helpful to create the conditions that allow the natural morning rise to occur.
Get outside
Getting outside shortly after waking is one of the simplest ways to reinforce the signal. Natural light, even on grey days, is significantly brighter than indoor lighting and helps anchor your internal clock.
Make time for some movement
Gentle movement in the morning can also help. A short walk, stretching, or light training session can act as cues that the day has begun. The best part? It doesn’t have to be intense exercise to be effective and reap the cortisol benefits. Gentle morning movement doesn’t force cortisol higher; instead, it helps support your body’s natural transition into alertness and balance.
Delay caffeine
Some people also find that delaying caffeine slightly allows their natural alertness to come online first, rather than replacing it immediately with stimulation. It’s less about strict rules and more about noticing how your energy responds.
Take care of your sleep hygiene
Most importantly, the morning rhythm begins the night before. Consistent sleep timing, a darker bedroom, and a calmer wind-down routine all support the hormonal signals that unfold the next day.
A Different Way to Think About Cortisol
Cortisol is often treated as something to suppress. But like many biological systems, it works best when it follows its natural curve, rising in the morning, gradually tapering toward evening.
If you regularly feel wired at night, depend heavily on caffeine in the morning, or crash mid-afternoon despite sleeping enough, it may be worth looking at rhythm rather than intensity.
Sometimes the body isn’t producing too much. It’s simply out of sync.
A checklist for understanding your cortisol
- Do you feel you need caffeine immediately to feel awake in the morning?
- Do you feel more alert late at night but struggle to feel sleepy at a reasonable hour?
- Do you experience a noticeable energy dip in the mid-afternoon even after sleeping well?
These patterns don’t necessarily mean something is wrong. They simply suggest that your body clock may be slightly out of sync with the rhythm it prefers.
To nudge cortisol back on track, keep it simple for a few days: get outside within 10–15 minutes of waking, let natural light hit your eyes, move your body gently (even a short walk will do), and hold off on coffee for an hour. Small, consistent morning cues are often enough to reset the rhythm.
This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Healf
Sam Neame is a performance coach and writer focused on helping high-achieving individuals live and perform better, working with Olympic athletes, actors, and business leaders. He writes about health, sleep, and fitness, exploring how these areas can help people build healthier, more resilient lives and environments beyond elite performance alone.
Outside of work, he values the simple things in life, a good dinner party, a well-made coffee, and time in the gym.
