Earthing and Stress

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. When you become worried, fearful or anxious your cortisol level increases and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The body shifts into fight-or-flight mode. Sympathetic overdrive is caused by prolonged and constant stress and is known to contribute to many health problems, for example, insomnia, hypertension, CVD, auto-immune.

A study has been conducted on the effects of Earthing during sleep. It was shown that cortisol secretion is resynchronized to align with its natural rhythm, i.e. highest output at 8.00am and lowest output at midnight. Many of the same study participants experienced increases in the levels of melatonin which is an important hormone that regulates sleep and other biological rhythms. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant with anti-cancer properties.

Another side effect of grounding is better sleep. A study from The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that when subjects—especially females—slept in their own beds with conducive mattress pads, their night-time cortisol levels dropped, they experienced better sleep, and were in less pain than they were before the study began. Better sleep may mean higher energy levels throughout the day, another perk that comes from grounding. Another studyii showed that grounding could improve heart rate variability, reduced stress and decreased anxiety and depression. Lowered stress levels could mean fewer headaches and even recovery from adrenal fatigue.