Night Owl: What time should I take saliva samples?

Hi, I'm going to take my first saliva test tomorrow and I'm wondering if I should take the samples at four evenly spaced out intervals from the time I GET up, or should I do them at 8am, noon, afternoon & midnight like it says to do?  I get up around 10am and go to bed around 12:30am.  Or should I do it at 7am when I wake up to use the bathroom?  I'm assuming that I should do it when I get up and base it on my own waking schedule, but I'm double checking because I want to be sure to do it right!!  

Thanks so much!
Lea

[rumpled]

Is this a normal schedule for you - as in do you do this daily?
If so, then do the 8am when you wake and then space out like the samples.

If it is not a normal schedule - do the test when you are on a normal schedule.

[starcat444]

Thanks for the reply.  Yes, I normally get up around 9:30am.  So I thought it made sense that my cortisol should be measured at the time I get up.  So, just to clarify, you mean do the "8am" vial at 9:30 or whenever I wake up and then space out the rest accordingly?

Thanks again!

[rumpled]

Yes, that is what I meant - do the 8am shortly after waking, and then space the others out in the same time frame as the samples would normally be taken.

Midnight or late night ones should be late - and in general, several sets of testing should be done as cortisol normally varies. One set is not good enough to really judge what is going on.

[starcat444]

Thank you for the feedback. I really appreciate it.