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Cortisol Awakening Response Shaping

Meaning

Cortisol Awakening Response Shaping is the clinical practice of strategically modulating the magnitude and temporal profile of the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), which is the sharp, transient rise in cortisol levels occurring shortly after waking. The CAR is a key, dynamic indicator of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis integrity and is physiologically crucial for initiating daytime metabolic and cognitive functions. Shaping aims to normalize a blunted or pathologically exaggerated CAR through targeted, chronobiologically informed interventions, ensuring an optimal, energetic transition from the sleep state to full wakefulness.