Article by Olivier Sanchez ND, NT Dip, Ir
You know the feeling. It’s 3.00 PM, and your body feels heavy, your eyes burn, and the idea of another meeting feels like too much effort. But when you finally lie down that night, your mind kicks into gear. The thoughts come from left and right, just about anything in particular: work, life, everything you didn’t finish or said two weeks ago. Your body is exhausted, but it won’t rest. Your brain won’t stop, and you wish you could find the switch-off button.
What is happening? It’s your stress system that is stuck in the on position. Your body thinks there’s still an emergency, even when you’re lying in bed with the lights out.
'Wired but tired' is what it feels like when your stress system, also known as the HPA axis, has lost its natural rhythm. Once activated, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis leads to the production of cortisol. In a healthy pattern, cortisol is high in the morning to help you wake and get out of bed, then gradually falls through the day so you can wind down at night.
In the wired‑but‑tired pattern, cortisol that should be dropping in the evening stays elevated. At the same time, a war is raging in your nervous system. Two opposing forces fight for control, and the parasympathetic nervous system ('rest and digest') can’t override the sympathetic ('fight or flight'). The result: you’re exhausted, but you can’t switch off.
Your HPA axis is your body’s central stress response system. When your brain perceives stress, whether it’s a deadline, relationship or money problems, a difficult conversation, or a constant stream of notifications, it signals the adrenals to release cortisol. Under short‑term stress, this is useful.
Long-term hyperactivation of the axis can have detrimental health consequences, including digestive and immune suppression, thyroid and cognitive issues.
"Have a bath with Epsom salt." "Read a book.” These suggestions can be useful. They work if you feel tired. They don’t work when your body is hooked on survival. That is why so many people feel frustrated: they’re doing the 'right' things and still keep on tossing and turning in bed wishing they’d finally fall asleep.
Most people don’t have just one cause. Usually, several factors are working together to keep the system on.
Prolonged stress keeps the HPA axis activated. Elevated cortisol disrupts sleep. Poor sleep, in turn, keeps cortisol elevated. Each night of bad sleep makes the next one even more difficult. Over time, this becomes a self‑reinforcing loop that is very hard to break with willpower alone.
Skipping meals, eating high‑sugar foods and drinking alcohol all cause high blood sugar, then dips that trigger cortisol release, even overnight. When blood sugar drops too low, the body releases cortisol to raise it again. This is one of the most overlooked drivers of the wired‑but‑tired pattern, poor sleep quality and nighttime waking.
Hypoglycaemia is also one of the biggest triggers of the stress response. Maintaining blood sugar balance is, therefore, of the utmost importance.
High‑intensity exercise raises cortisol. In appropriate doses, this is adaptive. Chronically, it contributes to dysregulation, particularly for people who train hard, thinking it will help them calm down and sleep. When cortisol is already high, more intense training can push the system further out of balance. Interestingly, people with high cortisol are those who go for intensive forms of exercise before they optimally crash (burnout).
Caffeine has a 5–7 hour half‑life. A coffee at 1pm is still about 50% active at 6–8.00pm and may keep your brain wired well into the evening. Even if you can fall asleep at a decent hour, late caffeine will affect sleep quality.
There is no quick fix. Improving your sleep and going from 'wired and tired' to 'rest and digest' will not happen overnight, as it is often the culmination of lifestyle and dietary habits, which all need to be reconsidered. However, for extra support, you can consider:
Taken before bed, magnesium glycinate can help you wind down, remove tension, and help the nervous system shift into a parasympathetic state; it is also a cofactor and modulator in cortisol metabolism. Magnesium glycinate is a highly bioavailable supplement that combines elemental magnesium with glycine, an amino acid.
Unlike sedatives, ashwagandha works on the HPA axis. It doesn’t override the nervous system; rather, it reduces cortisol output under stress. This effect builds over several weeks. A daily intake for a minimum of three months is, therefore, recommended.
Standardised extracts such as KSM‑66® have the strongest clinical evidence for reducing perceived stress and lowering cortisol.
B vitamins support adrenal function and are depleted by chronic stress. L‑theanine promotes GABA activity and alpha brain wave states - relaxation without sedation. Together, these address the nutritional depletion side of the pattern.
It is generally best to take B vitamins in the morning, while L‑theanine can be taken with magnesium glycinate in the evening. Continue learning about L-theanine.
Some habits are key drivers of the 'wired‑but‑tired' pattern, even if they seem helpful in the moment.
Creating new habits is often the best solution. Concentrating on these three factors is already a good start. You may then look at identifying causes of stress, so you’re more tired, less wired when it is time to get some shut-eye and be at your best every day.
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Olivier Sanchez is a registered naturopath and naturopathic nutritionist, an internationally published author, and the founder of Nutrunity. He specialises in digestive, metabolic, and mental well-being, with a key focus on gut health and sleep, helping individuals create sustainable routines that enhance energy, focus, and overall health.
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