Why You Crash at 3PM

Why do so many people with adrenal insufficiency seem to crash around 3PM?

In this episode, we explore one of the most common and frustrating patterns people describe: feeling relatively functional earlier in the day, only to hit a wall in the afternoon. The exhaustion can feel sudden, heavy, and difficult to push through—sometimes bringing brain fog, dizziness, shakiness, irritability, or the sense that your body is simply running out of energy.

We break down why this happens physiologically. Cortisol naturally follows a circadian rhythm, gradually declining throughout the day. In adrenal insufficiency, that rhythm is externally managed through replacement therapy, which can create peaks and valleys that don’t perfectly match what the body needs in real time.

This episode looks at how medication timing, absorption, stress, blood sugar shifts, activity levels, and nervous system demand can all contribute to the “3PM crash.” We also talk about why this pattern can occur across all forms of adrenal insufficiency—primary, secondary, tertiary, and steroid-induced—and why one person’s experience may look very different from another’s.

Most importantly, we focus on understanding the pattern without shame or self-blame. Hitting a wall in the afternoon isn’t laziness or lack of motivation—it can reflect the reality of trying to function without the body’s natural cortisol regulation system.

If you’ve ever wondered why afternoons feel disproportionately hard—or why your energy seems to disappear at the same time every day—this episode will help you better understand why.

Learn more at www.myadrenallife.com or join our My Adrenal Life Facebook Group.

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Avsnitt(174)

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