One Simple Point to Reduce Cortisol
Increasing the sleep quality
I want to introduce the positive impact of sleep quality on reducing elevated cortisol levels and keeping it at optimal levels.
Until I started monitoring my sleep quality using my smartwatch, I believed in having 8 hours of sleep. I was wrong. Analyzing the sleep logs through my smartwatch, I noticed that, even though I slept 8 hours, the quality of sleep was sometimes under six hours. It was evident in my overall feelings. Something was not right.
It was elevated cortisol levels detected in my blood checks.
The culprit was inadequate quality sleep.
An insightful conversation with my doctor motivated me to re-architect my sleep habits.
I reviewed the body of knowledge using PubMed and identified the key factors affecting quality sleep. Based on my findings, I took a few measures to improve the quality of my sleep.
Let me share these seven minor adjustments which made a real impact on increasing the quality of sleep.
1. I ensured my bedroom was dark enough. To maintain the darkness, I started using an eye mask that enabled absolute darkness during sleep hours.
2. I used silicone earplugs to block noise. I am very sensitive to noise. Even the smallest noise can wake me up prematurely.
3. I kept my bedroom temperature around 18 Celsius degree which was an optimal temperature for a comfortable sleep.
4. I started having 3 minutes of showers before bed. However, this was a special shower technique: 30 seconds cold and 30 seconds hot shower. This helped me reset my circadian rhythm.
5. I ensured not to expose my eyes to blue lights at least an hour before sleep time. I also ensured that my bedroom had no blue lights. Studies show that blue lights can adversely affect sleep quality.
6. I applied magnesium cream or spray to my lower body parts, especially in the form of sulfate, also known as Epsom Salts. Sometimes taking a magnesium tablet also helped. The increased level of magnesium in my body reduced muscle pain and prevented cramps. I experienced that magnesium provided a pleasant sense of relaxation, which was essential for sleep.
7. I ensured to have clean air in my bedroom. For this, I introduced two useful tools. One is an air-cleaning machine, and the other one is a Himalayan salt-based lamp. There is no established research on this but these lamps are believed to spread negative ions, attracting positive toxic molecules in the air.
Final Words
By using these seven simple hacks, I experienced substantial improvement in my sleep quality which was noticed in the logs of my sleep-monitoring smartwatch app.
A few months later, when I got my blood markers checked, there was a substantial drop in my previously elevated cortisol levels.
My doctor congratulated me for having an optimal cortisol level. I sensed the improvement in my increased joy and motivation in my daily activities.
This is a short version of my sleep hacks. See the attached article for a detailed version.
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About the Author
I am a technologist, postdoctoral researcher, published author, editor, and digital marketing strategist with four decades of industry experience.
I write articles for Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal Media. On Medium, I established ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, ILLUMINATION’ S MIRROR, ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, Technology Hits, and SYNERGY publications, supporting 15,500+ writers on Medium.
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I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. I wrote several articles on major diseases and valuable nutrients for health. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
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