I have found the solution. I have all the symptoms you have described: surges of cortisol at various times of day, nightmares waking up with surges. Feeling so miserable unable to function. I desperately searched the internet and I found an anxiety centre in London, Ontario that specializes in treating these horrible cortisol surges. It is anxietycentre.com. They call what we have hyperstimulation. There is a wonderful reassuring graph showing the levels of cortisol with varying degrees of this illness. I didn't hesitate to join because the information is priceless and they have therapists who have all recovered from this themselves. I can't begin to describe the relief. You can join a weekly Skype lecture by the director. Aside from everything they recommend I had a severe Vitamin C deficiency. My teeth were separating, injuries wouldn't heal etc. When you are under stress you go through Vitamin C like crazy and it only lasts in your bloodstream a few hours. I studied up on it and am taking 3000 mg 3x a day. That made a huge difference. And the biggest most fantastic discovery is CBD oil made from Hemp. There are many companies who sell it on the internet. Within 2 day of taking 500 mg twice a day -- no surges!!! No irritability -- I feel better than I have in as long as I can remember. Google "Best CBD oil" and only purchase it from those manufacturers who have had independent lab tests for purity. My father is dying and we are putting our dog to sleep today and I am without symptoms. Oh gosh I hope this helps you. The suffering is unbelievable. Pass the word the diagnosis is hyperstimulation and the experts are at anxietycentre.com. No doctor in the USA that I have found understands this. It is an anxiety disorder.