Lack of sleep, stress, and respiratory illnesses are believed to be significant factors in the development of adrenal fatigue, a condition that occurs when your body's hormonal levels are no longer balanced. Most people suffering from adrenal fatigue look excellent, but report feeling exhausted, listless, and just gray. The CDC estimates 1 million Americans struggle with adrenal fatigue.

Common symptoms of adrenal fatigue include:

• Struggling to get out of bed
• Lowered immune system
• Inability to cope in stressful situations
• Craving salt
• Caffeine addiction
• Chronic fatigue
• Fluctuating blood sugar levels
• Headaches

There are three distinct stages of adrenal fatigue:

• Feeling on edge and tired at the same time
• Feeling extremely stressed and tired at the same time
• Feeling burned out

Most people go through each stage during a single day.

The longer the adrenal fatigue lasts, the more significant the negative impact it has on your quality of life.

There are three things you can do to reverse adrenal fatigue.

Change Your Diet to Treat Adrenal Fatigue

Diet can have a significant impact on your body's hormonal levels. Food has been so useful for treating adrenal fatigue that some nutritionists have put together the adrenal diet. The first thing you need to do is stay away from saturated fats, sugar, caffeine, and salts. Even though you're craving them, they aren't what you need. You'll start sleeping better when you replace those foods with foods packed with nutrient-rich protein.

Foods on the adrenal diet include:

• Oysters
• Gluten-free whole grains
• Fish
• Pumpkin seeds
• Starchy and cruciferous veggies
• Bone Broth
• Fruit
• Olive oil
• Seaweed
• Liver

The idea behind the adrenal diet is that certain foods trigger inflammation, making it difficult for the digestive system to function correctly, which makes it difficult for our body to function correctly. The cortisol levels are one of the first things impacted by food intolerance.

Once you've restored yourself to the proper cortisol levels and have gotten plenty of sleep, you can experiment and eat different types of food until you identify precisely which foods your body tolerates.

Go to Bed Early

Going to bed earlier can help resolve your adrenal fatigue. Experts recommend getting into bed before 11:00 pm. Based on healthy sleep patterns, the earlier bedtime allows your body to go through not one, but two complete cycles go a long way towards restoring your body to its proper hormonal levels.

A study conducted by the Korea University College of Medicine discovered people who go to bed early have a lower risk of developing severe health problems, including:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Sarcopenia

Women who go to bed earlier routinely have lower levels of belly fat and an overall faster metabolic rate.

A large portion of the 1,600 people who took part in the study that stayed up late at night displayed noticeable muscle loss, particularly in their abdominal area. It's likely that as time passes the continued decline of muscle mass will also lead to problems with their posture, which could put a great deal more strain on their joints and spine.

The consensus is that individuals who go to bed later, don't sleep as well as those who go to bed early. They also tend to indulge in bad late-night habits such as smoking, eating high-fat snacks, and leading high-stress lifestyles, all things that can contribute to adrenal fatigue.

Make Withania somnifera a Part of Your Life

Withania somnifera is the scientific name of a medicinal herb that's more commonly called Ashwagandha. The history books are full of stories about Withania somnifera documented in Chinese and Ayurvedic herbal cures, when the herb was used to treat things such as swelling, arthritis, fatigue, stress, to boost male fertility, and asthma. It is also gaining a great deal of popularity as a remedy for adrenals.

The Impact Withania somnifera has on the Human Body

The most significant impact Withania somnifera has on the human body is how the herb's chemicals react with the brain. After consuming Withania somnifera, the brain's chemistry calms, which in turn lowers blood pressure and triggers a reduction in swelling. Research indicates Withania somnifera is full of a regenerative agent the human adrenal system craves. Doctors and natural healers have successfully used the herb to help patients manage mood disorders, memory loss, and high-stress levels. The herb is especially popular amongst patients engaged in a battle with adrenal fatigue.

In 1998, James Wilson, Ph.D., was the first doctor to use the term adrenal fatigue. A specialist in alternative medicine, he felt the extreme fatigue his patients experienced was a result of the adrenal glands not working correctly. He noted that adrenal fatigue was most commonly encountered in conjunction with a compromised immune system.

Withania somnifera Improves Adrenal Health

Many people who suffer from adrenal fatigue use caffeine to feel more awake. Caffeine isn't an effective defense against adrenal fatigue. A study conducted by the University of India revealed that when rats were dosed with just 20 milligrams of Withania somnifera, their energy levels were boosted as much as when they were dosed with popular prescription strength anti-depressants.

Another study conducted in 2012 conclusively demonstrated that taking the herb for two months significantly improved the immune system of individuals who struggled with health problems connected to experiencing chronic stress. During this study, the non-placebo group of participants received 300-milligrams of Withania somnifera two times daily. Testing revealed that the members of the non-placebo group had significantly reduced cortisol levels at the end of the research period.

Today, many doctors and natural healers turn to Withania somnifera to help patients who are fighting cancer, diabetes, insomnia, and a variety of other chronic illnesses.