Cortisol should change over a 12-24 hour time frame and we should create a “cortisol curve” whereby our cortisol is higher in the morning and then goes down as the day goes on. his test measures cortisol at 4 different times in the day to check for the cortisol curve. Everyone experiences stress at times, but how well we cope with stress depends a lot on our adrenal gland function. Our modern-day stresses tend to be less dramatic, but of longer duration. This means that cortisol levels may stay mildly elevated, resulting in symptoms like feeling tired but wired, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety. Excess cortisol also interferes with the action of other hormones (progesterone, testosterone and thyroid), creating more hormone imbalance and more symptoms. With continued stress, the adrenal glands may become depleted from producing too much cortisol or may reduce cortisol production significantly in response to the detrimental effects of high cortisol. Symptoms of low cortisol may include fatigue (particularly morning fatigue), increased susceptibility to infection, decreased recovery from exercise, allergies, low blood sugar, burned out feeling, depression and low sex drive. This test sample is provided at home and then put into any local mailbox using the pre-paid mailer package.