Cortisol may not be your problem, but you can have your levels tested to see if it is. A test like the BioHealth 201 will measure your cortisol levels at four different points in the day, one of which is right before bed. If your night time cortisol is elevated, then it may very well be related to your trouble sleeping. The next step would be to figure out what is causing the elevated cortisol. Some of the more common causes include chronic stress, food sensitivities, and chronic infections.

Other than that, I unfortunately don’t have any additional recommendations besides the sleep habits recommended in the article.

I hope you find a way to resolve your problem and start getting better sleep. Good luck!

DO you have any suggestions that I could try? I would be indebted to you if you could tell me something that would work.

I do use meditation, and deep breathing and these type activities to help calm the adrenaline rush. But it does not help with the insomnia.

Your absolutely right and this is a significant problem for many people, especially in America. Although everyone’s situation is different, it comes down to a matter of priorities. Perhaps working long hours and enduring a long commute are required to maintain a higher paying job, or maybe even one that’s more fulfilling, but there are always alternatives. Such a hectic lifestyle will inevitably detract from health in some way, and we each have to decide if the benefits of this type of job and lifestyle are worth the sacrifice. Unfortunately, some people push themselves so far that it’s no longer a choice and health problems end up forcing them to slow down. Although it can sometimes be difficult, it’s certainly possible to find a good job that allows for a comfortable pace of living.

Overheard at the office:
“NO, you can’t have more time for this task. I see your people taking lunches and leaving by 6.”

Working a night shift is definitely a challenge. Aside from getting to bed by 10 PM, I think everything else in the article still applies, especially sleeping in complete darkness and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.

Since you may be sleeping a lot during the day, it’s important to block the daylight from entering your room. Likewise, to help you stay awake during the night, using full spectrum light bulbs might be beneficial.

While it may not be practical to maintain your workday schedule on a day off, the more frequently your routine varies, the more difficult it will probably be to sleep in general. The more consistent you can keep your schedule, the better.

This is probably advice you’ve already heard, but unfortunately, I don’t have any better ideas to offer. It’s very likely that the body can detect the difference between day and night, possibly through changes in the earth’s natural electromagnetic field as well as the obvious variations in sunlight. Going against the body’s natural preference to sleep during the night is not an easy disruption to overcome. If possible, perhaps it would be better to find a way to return to a normal schedule.