Your cortisol levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day. By testing at strategic moments, you can build a clear, personalized picture of how your body responds to your routine, recovery, and stress.
1 . Daily baseline aka the diurnal rhythm
Morning measurement: the peak of your day
Take your first test 30 minutes after waking. This typically captures your natural cortisol peak.
This window is critical for understanding your baseline energy and resilience levels.
Evening measurement: low levels to wind down
Take your second test 1–2 hours before bedtime (or anytime between 5-11 pm) to observe cortisol at its expected lowest point.
Avoid testing immediately after meals or caffeine, which can elevate cortisol and skew the result.
This helps assess how well your body is winding down.
2. Spot testing options
Use additional tests to explore how specific events affect your hormones:
After workouts – See how your body recovers after physical stress.
Following stressful events – Observe acute cortisol spikes after moments of emotional or mental load.
During relaxation – Test after meditation, yoga, or a quiet weekend morning to see how rest affects your levels.
When sleep is disrupted – If you wake up in the night or feel unrested, test early to investigate cortisol’s role in sleep quality.
3 . Want to dive even deeper?
Here’s our recommendations for deeper insights:
Test multiple times in one day to map your full diurnal rhythm.
Compare weekdays vs. weekends to highlight how routine impacts recovery.
Experiment with post-meal or fasted-state testing to explore how food timing affects your response.