Which practice is associated with reducing the stress hormone cortisol?

• A. Meditation
• B. Regular intense exercise
• C. Eating sugar
• D. Adequate sleep

Answer: (D)

Adequate sleep helps regulate cortisol, the stress hormone that the body releases in response to stress. When you get enough rest, your body’s daily rhythms stay balanced, with cortisol naturally peaking in the morning to help you wake and then decreasing as the day progresses. This proper pattern keeps resting cortisol levels lower and reduces how strongly the body responds to stress, supporting recovery, mood, and overall health. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, tends to raise cortisol and disrupt this balance, making stress harder to handle. So, getting sufficient sleep is the practice most consistently linked to lowering cortisol. Meditation can also lower cortisol by calming the mind, and regular, well-balanced exercise can improve stress regulation over time, though intense workouts may acutely raise cortisol; sugary eating tends to increase cortisol as a metabolic stress response.