Delhi Delhi. According to new research, cortisol levels do not just rise upon waking, as previously thought, but are rising earlier as the body prepares for the day ahead. Researchers at the University of Bristol in Britain Led by, researchers found that cortisol levels increase in the hours before waking, which is part of the body's preparation for the day ahead, so waking up may not be as “stressful” as previously thought, He said.
Known as the 'stress hormone', cortisol levels vary throughout the day with a person's 24-hour cycle, rising in response to stress to help the body manage it. After sleeping overnight Waking up is thought to trigger cortisol production and is called the 'cortisol awakening response' – something that has been previously studied in a variety of contexts including post-traumatic stress disorder, obesity and depression.
However, this study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, shows that if cortisol has any association with wakefulness, it is with the factors contributing to the onset of wakefulness, not per se. response, the authors said. They added that previous studies analyzing the cortisol response have typically evaluated saliva samples obtained after waking up, not in the period before. As a result, the studies focused on the waking period. have not been able to prove a change in the rate of cortisol secretion, the researchers said.
In this study, the team measured cortisol levels before and after waking up in more than 200 healthy men and women aged 18-68 using an automated system. “The hours before we woke up, we There was no evidence of a change in the rate of cortisol rise in the hour after waking compared to .” The results suggest that any change in cortisol levels immediately after waking up is more likely to be the last phase of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol – which is known to increase in the morning and usually peaks shortly after waking up each day. But it happens, the team said.
They also found that the duration and timing of sleep contributed to differences in participants' cortisol levels and rate of change. Therefore, the authors urged caution when interpreting cortisol values taken in the hour after waking. The findings demonstrated that the main reason for changes in cortisol levels around waking time is largely related to the endogenous circadian rhythm of cortisol, which is the intrinsic rhythm of cortisol secretion linked to the body clock. Is.
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