766. Wired But Tired: The Cortisol Pattern Most Women Miss

The wired-but-tired feeling is incredibly common, especially for women, and it’s one of the most frustrating places to be. You want energy during the day. You want sleep at night. But instead, it feels like your body is doing the exact opposite of what it should.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s actually happening behind the scenes when you feel wired but tired and why pushing harder, drinking more coffee, or just “trying to relax” usually makes things worse.

When I see this pattern, it almost always points back to dysfunction in the HPA axis, which controls your adrenal function and cortisol output. A lot of women call this adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency.

Here’s the key thing most people miss:
You can feel exhausted and overstimulated at the same time.

This often happens when:

• Your adrenal output is low, so you don’t have sustained energy

• Your free cortisol is elevated, because life is stressful and you’re constantly in reaction mode

• You’re running on adrenaline instead of real energy

That’s why you may feel okay only when there’s a fire to put out, then crash hard afterward.

Cortisol can be measured through saliva or urine, but a single snapshot doesn’t tell the whole story.

This is where DUTCH testing is so powerful:

• It shows free cortisol across the entire day, not just one moment

• It shows metabolized cortisol, which saliva testing cannot measure

• It reveals whether your body is producing cortisol, using it properly, or struggling to keep up

What I see over and over again with wired-but-tired women is low adrenal function paired with high free cortisol. You’re stressed, busy, and carrying a lot, but your system no longer has the reserves to support it.

This pattern doesn’t just affect energy. It can disrupt:

• Sleep cycles and nighttime rest

• Hormone regulation

• Muscle recovery and rebuilding

• Immune function

• Mood, focus, and motivation

This is why advice like “just eat healthier,” “go to yoga,” or “push through it” doesn’t work. Those approaches don’t address the root issue.

The first step is understanding what your body is actually doing. That’s why I rely so heavily on DUTCH testing. It gives us a clear roadmap instead of guessing.

From there, we can build the right plan for you, whether that means:

• Supporting protein and mineral intake

• Repairing sleep and circadian rhythms

• Addressing stress physiology in a way your body can actually respond to

• Rebuilding adrenal resilience instead of draining it further

If you’re stuck in that Groundhog Day cycle of exhaustion and overstimulation, this is your sign to stop guessing and start testing.

Click the link below to learn more about the DUTCH test: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/