If you have ME/CFS, you should get out of bed in the morning.
Sounds harsh? Let me explain 👇
A thread on morning cortisol.
Sounds harsh? Let me explain 👇
A thread on morning cortisol.
2/ In healthy people, cortisol spikes naturally about 30–45 min after waking. This is called the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR).
It boosts alertness, blood sugar, energy, and literally gets us moving.
It boosts alertness, blood sugar, energy, and literally gets us moving.
3/ Cortisol isn’t just a “stress hormone.”
It primes your body for action. But there's a problem...
If you stay lying in bed while CAR is active, it can make you feel anxious, jittery, or restless — a wired-but-tired feeling.
It primes your body for action. But there's a problem...
If you stay lying in bed while CAR is active, it can make you feel anxious, jittery, or restless — a wired-but-tired feeling.
4/ Stay in bed → cortisol keeps rising → anxiety grows
You feel worse → stay in bed even longer → cycle repeats
This loop can make mornings especially brutal for anyone, especially people with ME/CFS.
You feel worse → stay in bed even longer → cycle repeats
This loop can make mornings especially brutal for anyone, especially people with ME/CFS.
5/ To complicate things, studies show people with ME/CFS often have abnormal cortisol rhythms:
- Some have a flattened or delayed CAR
- Some have overall low cortisol
This may worsen morning fatigue, non-refreshing sleep, and sensitivity to stress.
- Some have a flattened or delayed CAR
- Some have overall low cortisol
This may worsen morning fatigue, non-refreshing sleep, and sensitivity to stress.
6/ This doesn’t mean “just get up and push through.”
But understanding how cortisol works can help explain why mornings feel impossible — it’s biology, not laziness.
But understanding how cortisol works can help explain why mornings feel impossible — it’s biology, not laziness.
7/ What you can try:
- Consistent wake times
- Gentle morning light exposure
- Pacing your morning activity…may help regulate rhythms and reduce the morning crash.
- Consistent wake times
- Gentle morning light exposure
- Pacing your morning activity…may help regulate rhythms and reduce the morning crash.
8/ Of course, everyone’s tolerance and symptom severity differs — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
But for those who can, even just establishing a consistent wake-up time, getting out of bed, and getting some natural light, even if you go back to bed for most of the day, can still help:
- regulate cortisol
- reduce morning anxiety
- improve sleep quality
- support your body’s natural rhythms
But for those who can, even just establishing a consistent wake-up time, getting out of bed, and getting some natural light, even if you go back to bed for most of the day, can still help:
- regulate cortisol
- reduce morning anxiety
- improve sleep quality
- support your body’s natural rhythms
9/ Cortisol, CAR, and ME/CFS show how our body’s natural rhythms can interact with chronic illness.
Understanding the biology helps shift blame from “willpower” → physiology.
Understanding the biology helps shift blame from “willpower” → physiology.
10/ Some people can’t tolerate bright morning light or getting up early due to sensitivity or PEM. That’s completely valid — in many cases even gentle light exposure from a window or soft indoor lighting, and small, paced movement, can still help regulate rhythms without overtaxing the body.
If you want help tailoring this approach to your current capacity, don't hesitate to DM me.
🕊️
#mecfs
If you want help tailoring this approach to your current capacity, don't hesitate to DM me.
🕊️
#mecfs
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