Why do we wake up every morning? Neuroscientist explains ‘Cortisol Awakening Response’ and its role in our body clock

Andrew Huberman shares how cortisol level in our body changes as we sleep, leading to us waking up every morning irrespective of any alarm ringing.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that is usually associated with stress. However, cortisol is not always a bad thing, and its level in the body fluctuates in a daily cycle, according to Andrew David Huberman, American neuroscientist, podcaster, and associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Appearing on the January 5 episode of Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom podcast, Andrew explained how cortisol helps us to wake up on our own every morning, irrespective of whether we own an alarm clock.

Why do we wake up every morning?

Andrew stated that the real reason we wake up every morning is because of the Cortisol Awakening Response.

A couple of hours before sleep at night, the cortisol level is low in the body. At this time, our heart rate is low, we are usually calm, and the lights are likely dimmed in our room. Then we go to sleep.

“Your cortisol is then at its absolute lowest levels in the 24 hours,” noted Andrew, adding that at the same time, the “sleepy hormone” melatonin is at the highest level in our body.

The first four to five hours are when we get the most deep, slow-wave sleep, or the non-REM sleep. While transitioning into the “sort of the last third” of the sleep of the night, many people tend to wake up, use the restroom and go back to sleep.

The reason that they wake up is that they experience a transition in their cortisol levels.

“Well, it turns out that your cortisol is starting to rise about two-thirds of the way through the night,” noted Andrew.

After going back to sleep, or in other cases, sleeping through the night, at some point in the morning, depending on personal schedule, everyone wakes up. This is because the cortisol level in the body has reached a certain threshold at that point.

“If I were to measure your cortisol at that moment and compare it to what people may call a stress episode in the afternoon, you would say it is much higher than what stress induced,” noted Andrew.

How to elevate morning cortisol spike

According to the neuroscientist, an elevated cortisol level in the morning is a healthy sign. Our cortisol level continues to rise thereafter, and within the first hour to 90 minutes after waking up, there is a window to increase the morning cortisol spike by about 50 percent by viewing bright light.

Commenting on the podcast clip that has been shared on Instagram, Andrew added, “By the way, elevated morning cortisol by the way of bright light and exercise, etc., is advantageous for everybody. This is true for women and for men, and at all stages of women’s cycle, and throughout pregnancy. This has been looked at in detail in human studies.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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