Cortisol surge

I am so sick and tired of the morning cortisol surge.  I've been dealing with it for 18 months now, waking up at 3-4 am with my heart pounding.  I've gotten some breaks here and there for a few weeks, but it feels like it'll never end. 

So sorry to hear that Accidental, I'm waking up at 3-4 am all the time, every night too. I don't have the cortisol surge but I just wake up wide awake like I can go run a marathon. It's been more than 9 months with no let up.

I am so sick and tired of the morning cortisol surge.  I've been dealing with it for 18 months now, waking up at 3-4 am with my heart pounding.  I've gotten some breaks here and there for a few weeks, but it feels like it'll never end. 

 

Hi Accidental!

I wake up sometimes at the same time too. It's a very common condition that affect even to people that is not on benzos or withdrawal. The main culprit according to some natural health gurus is the dinner time and snacking. Snaking short before bed or have a late dinner may spike cortisol at that particular time (should be 3 hs. before bed).

The only things that helped me tremendously is diaphragm breathings. I just need 7/10 and I fall asleep again. Exercise during the day also helps. Just walk would do it.

If I can't my next step is to take a cold-hot-cold shower. I know the cold may be controversial and a challenge for some but it works for many. Don't be frustrated if doesn't work the first time. The idea is to relax you body.

Hope this may help.

 

 

The only things that helped me tremendously is diaphragm beadings. I just need 7/10 and I fall asleep again. Exercise during the day also helps. Just walk would do it.

 

 

What are diaphragm beadings?

 

I'm the same way though- it's frustrating

Sorry! my typo on the phone is not good 

I meant breathings. Inhale, hold for 4 sec and exhale hold for 4 sec. The key is to use your belly or diaphragm expanding the lower part of your lungs and then the upper part.

Hope it helps!

Mice 

Yup.  This is one of my worst symptoms!  I would like to to stop please.

Yup.  This is one of my worst symptoms!  I would like to to stop please.

 

Hi jBen, are you experiencing broken sleep and vivid dreams too? I'm always waking up 3 hours after I go to bed (sometimes even earlier!). On better nights I'll get 4 solid hours but that's not common. It's been almost 10 months since my setback but I'm still sleeping poorly.

 

 

Hi jBen, are you experiencing broken sleep and vivid dreams too? I'm always waking up 3 hours after I go to bed (sometimes even earlier!). On better nights I'll get 4 solid hours but that's not common. It's been almost 10 months since my setback but I'm still sleeping poorly.

 

I am exactly the same as you almost 8 mo off temazepam.  I wake 3 hrs after going to bed, sometimes 1-2hrs, and that's the only good sleep I get.  Seems like I've been in this same pattern for so long now with no change. It gets discouraging.

 

 

Hi jBen, are you experiencing broken sleep and vivid dreams too? I'm always waking up 3 hours after I go to bed (sometimes even earlier!). On better nights I'll get 4 solid hours but that's not common. It's been almost 10 months since my setback but I'm still sleeping poorly.

 

I am exactly the same as you almost 8 mo off temazepam.  I wake 3 hrs after going to bed, sometimes 1-2hrs, and that's the only good sleep I get.  Seems like I've been in this same pattern for so long now with no change. It gets discouraging.

 

For sure.  I was about the same as that at 8 months off. 

Yeah.  Broken sleep, vivid dreams, cortisol surge so bad in the morning at about 3am that it takes my breath away. 

Yeah.  Broken sleep, vivid dreams, cortisol surge so bad in the morning at about 3am that it takes my breath away.

 

 

Urghhhh this is really cruel...I hope normal sleep comes back to all of us. 

Yeah.  Broken sleep, vivid dreams, cortisol surge so bad in the morning at about 3am that it takes my breath away.

 

Yep, 18 months off this is being old.  To be fair I've had breaks for a few weeks here and there, but otherwise sleep has been a challenge since Feb 2021. 

 

How are you during the day now?  My days are pretty low symptom now so that's progress I guess.  Today I am symptomatic but that is rare these days. 

Wow AD that is progress for sure.  Not sleeping tho can really take a toll.  I am using a weighted blanket at night and even meditation at 3am when I wake.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they dont.

 

My days are still filled with terrible anxiety but I have had 4 setbacks (1 major one and 3 less major).  I still cant eat food in the mornings until about 3pm without major symptoms.  I am currently going through dental procedures and each time I get the anesthetic I have a month long setback.  So not really good right now.

Wow AD that is progress for sure.  Not sleeping tho can really take a toll.  I am using a weighted blanket at night and even meditation at 3am when I wake.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they dont.

 

My days are still filled with terrible anxiety but I have had 4 setbacks (1 major one and 3 less major).  I still cant eat food in the mornings until about 3pm without major symptoms.  I am currently going through dental procedures and each time I get the anesthetic I have a month long setback.  So not really good right now.

 

I'm sorry to hear that jben.  I had my gallbladder removed a month ago and that's got things stirred up again for me.  I might call it a set back now, but fortunately I only spent 2-3 days in acute level suffering. 

Oh wow AD.  Are you feeling better after the surgery?  What kind of drugs did they give you?  How did you react?  Sorry if I am digging too deep.  Always interested in how our community responds to these types of things.

Oh wow AD.  Are you feeling better after the surgery?  What kind of drugs did they give you?  How did you react?  Sorry if I am digging too deep.  Always interested in how our community responds to these types of things.

 

Yes certain things are better but I had hoped that by getting rid of an inflamed gallbladder I would have an easier benzo recovery without that inflamed organ.  It hasn't happened yet. 

 

I had propafol to be put out and about 5 pills of painkillers the next 24 hours.  One single large dose of penicillin based ab during the procedure.  No benzos, no steroids, no quinolone, no oral ab.  I was fine for about 9 days afterwards and then the benzo symptoms picked back up.  Prior to surgery I was absent from here bc I was feeling 95%. 

You will get back to 95% soon.  It has been a long road.  You deserve to finally be over all this.  I can only hope that the next few dentist visits will not put be back in full blown acute!

You will get back to 95% soon.  It has been a long road.  You deserve to finally be over all this.  I can only hope that the next few dentist visits will not put be back in full blown acute!

 

Well you've had a long road too. I'm sorry you've had such a rough time just trying to take care of your oral health!  It's been a year since we met on the insomnia board and here we still are.  Hopefully this next year is better. 

 

95% may be generous.  I hade been having good days, but sleep has been a constant struggle to various degrees. 

Yes! I hate the cortisal surge! And same time for me. I can't get back to sleep often....I will say it was worse when I was on ativan...while I weaned it got better and better and once off it stopped...now I stupidly started on again (so  dumb!lol ans they r back! So mad at myself

Cortisol, as well as other stress hormones, are directly burned off by exercise. That's how I've been dealing with the cortisol surges and it's been pretty magical. Of course, when you wake up and you feel like cred, you don't want to exercise. But if you can barely get yourself out of bed and just do some jogging in place or yoga moves or something. Even just 20 minutes makes a difference.

I have wicked insomnia, wake up about 2 hours after I fall asleep and then the Cortisol surge at about 5 am., and this is with 25mgs. of Trazodone, I get up, drink some water and walk around my small condo and then go back to bed and the tingling will be gone, so what PizzaBrigade says makes sense to me.  Then I sometimes can get back to sleep and if not, get up again and repeat this action, walking and drinking water.