This is critical to understand, because when these glands go into overdrive, it can trigger a cascade of problems.
Imagine the illustration above: on the left, you see healthy adrenal glands; on the right, overstimulated ones.
In normal balance, your adrenal glands communicate with your brain to regulate cortisol. Cortisol naturally rises in the morning to give you energy, then falls at night so your body can relax and drift into deep sleep.
That’s how it should work.
But here’s the issue: most people today have adrenal glands that are constantly overstimulated.
Looking at the right side of the image, you can see the glands running in overdrive producing excess cortisol even when the body doesn’t need it.
The result? Cortisol stays elevated at night when it should be dropping.
Instead of winding down, your body is locked in a heightened state of alertness. Your brain won’t switch off, your heart rate stays high, and your nervous system remains tense.
This nonstop cortisol surge makes it nearly impossible to relax, fall asleep, or stay asleep.
It’s like a car engine that refuses to shut down—leaving you restless, waking up repeatedly, and stuck in shallow, non-restorative sleep.