Adrenal Fatigue

It seems like such an obvious answer to fatigue and exhaustion. Yet, sleep as a remedy for adrenal fatigue is a simple – and not to mention free – but, often overlooked solution.

For many women in perimenopause, adrenal fatigue is a common issue brought on in part by fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels. But it can also be brought on and even exacerbated by simply doing too much and not resting enough.

As natural multi-taskers, women are accustomed to juggling multiple demands and daily responsibilities. As nurturers, we are also accustomed to sacrificing ourselves for the greater good of others, with sleep often becoming the first casualty of that sacrifice. Without adequate sleep or time away from daily demands to decompress and relax, burn out and exhaustion can occur – both symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

In the most basic terms, adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands are no longer able to produce adequate amounts of the stress hormones cortisol, DHEA, and adrenaline, in order to help us manage and cope with daily demands and stress.

It’s important to note that regardless of the source or duration of stress in our life, the adrenal glands respond the same, by releasing adrenaline and cortisol to prepare us for the fight or flight response, and DHEA to help us physically and emotionally recover from the stress.

The fight or flight response is the body’s built-in survival mechanism. Its primary purpose is self-preservation. However, if the physical body remains in a constant state of high-alert, the very processes which are designed to protect and preserve our life begin to break-down and stress the body.

If constantly called upon to prepare us for the fight or flight response with no time to fully recover, the adrenal glands become depleted and exhausted, and unable to respond adequately. Once this occurs, you will begin to manifest symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

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