Sleep is important for many reasons. What you may not know is that sleep affects your hormones, and hormone levels affect your sleep. Sleep affects many hormones in the body, including those related to stress or hunger. Spending too much or too little time under the duvet can influence your hormones. That’s why a good night’s sleep is essential to maintain hormonal balance.
Here’s what you need to know about the ins and outs of the relationship between hormones and sleep.
What are hormones and what do they do?
Hormones are chemical messengers that play an essential role in regulating many processes, systems, and functions in the body. The body needs a number of different hormones to function properly. They are released by the endocrine system, a network of organs and glands located throughout the body.
Hormones are responsible for many bodily functions, including:
metabolism and appetite
growth
body temperature
sexual function, libido and reproduction
heartbeat
blood pressure
sleep-wake cycles.
The production and function of many hormones in the body are influenced by other bodily functions, such as sleep.
sleep and hormones
Various hormonal functions and their release are influenced by sleep or the circadian rhythm and vice versa. Adequate sleep is important in regulating a number of hormones, including:
cortisol
estrogen and progesterone
hunger hormones, such as insulin, leptin, and ghrelin
melatonin
thyroid hormones
growth hormones.
For example, melatonin controls sleep patterns and tells your body when to fall asleep. Human growth hormone is released during hours of deep sleep, which is vital for cell growth and repair. Other hormones, such as cortisol, depend on the timing, duration, and quality of sleep for their release. A good sleep is therefore essential for good health.
Almost all of the body’s hormones are released in response to your circadian rhythm, also known as your sleep-wake cycle. If left unaddressed, lack of sleep will cause you to fall down the steps of a hormonal ladder. This is true whether you are 30, 50, or 70 years old. Regular sleep can help with hormone regulation. Every time we chronically disrupt the quantity and quality of sleep, we upset this balance and leave the door open for medical problems.
cortisol
Sleep regulates the level of cortisol, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is also known as the stress hormone. Cortisol helps regulate other hormones in the body. When you relax, sleep well, and wake up feeling refreshed, your cortisol peaks within 30 minutes of waking up. This spike activates all of your other hormones, including thyroid and estrogen. Poor sleep can have a number of negative effects on cortisol release. You should get 7-9 hours of sleep each night to keep your cortisol levels in check.
Estrogens, progesterone and thyroid hormones
Estrogen and progesterone play a role in maintaining reproductive health. When you don’t sleep well, cortisol is high when you wake up in the morning. This can disrupt the tango between estrogen and progesterone. This can cause your thyroid to slow down, which can affect your metabolism by slowing it down.
hunger hormones
Sleep is an important regulator of metabolism, the process of chemical reactions in the body that converts food into energy. Sleep disruption or lack of sleep can directly affect the production and levels of hunger hormones in the body. It can disrupt hunger, appetite, and food intake, which can lead to weight gain.
Poor quality sleep interrupts
– leptin
– ghrelin
– insulin
These hormones are responsible for:
– satiety
– hunger
– regulation of blood sugar
– fat storage
These hormones are responsible for how the food you eat is used for energy and storage in your body. Lack of sleep disrupts this delicate interplay and can lead to insulin resistance and weight gain, especially around the waist. Even a single night of poor sleep can throw off your insulin levels. He advises compensating the next day by watching your sugar intake.
melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that is associated with the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm, so you can fall asleep and stay asleep. Poor quality or interrupted sleep can affect melatonin and its role in promoting sleep in the brain. Melatonin controls over 500 genes in the body, including genes involved in the immune system, so controlling melatonin along with good sleep is essential.
Growth hormone
Human Growth Hormone (HGH), also called somatotropin or growth hormone, plays a vital role in:
protein production and synthesis
muscle development
metabolism
immunity
Sleep affects the amount and production of growth hormone in the body.
When you cut back on sleep, you reduce growth hormone levels and you may have less ability to repair injuries and be more likely to pack on belly fat.
Very little sleep and hormone levels
The ideal amount of sleep needed for most adults is around 7 to 9 hours. If you accumulate a sleep deficit during the week, you won’t be able to make up for it enough on the weekends.
Lack of sleep can lead to:
– reduced immunity
– more frequent infections
– an increase in diseases
– appetite spikes
– increased calorie intake
– fatten
If you sleep 4 hours a night for 5 days, you have a 24-hour sleep deficit at the end of the week. You can’t get it back in a weekend. Getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is important for optimal hormone regulation. These include sleeping long enough and deep enough to enter REM sleep.
Light or frequently interrupted sleep will not do.
Lack of sleep is an epidemic that many people take for granted as part of an active lifestyle. Sleep cleanses the toxins from your brain. It’s like a powerful cleanse. Poor sleep wreaks havoc on your internal biochemistry. Poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep can upset the body’s hormonal balance. Disruption of the hormonal balance occurs if you do not get enough sleep. If your body produces cortisol for a longer time, it means that you are producing more energy than you need.
Too much sleep and hormone levels
Sleeping more is not always better. One study showed that women score better on cognitive tests after 7 hours of sleep, but increased sleep beyond 9 hours is associated with lower cognitive scores.
Too much sleep can lead to:
– the somnolence
– daytime fatigue
– reduced metabolism
– trouble concentrating
– Disturbed sleep cycles.
Since good quality sleep is essential for health and hormonal regulation, excessive sleep, like restricted sleep, can have negative effects on the body, especially metabolism.
Sleep tips what you need to regulate your hormones
Hormonal regulation is essential to virtually all bodily processes. There are several things you can do to ensure you get the most out of your night’s sleep.
– Try to sleep 7 to 9 hours a night.
– Go to bed and wake up at regular times to teach your body to know when it is time to sleep.
– If you sleep poorly, limit your sugar intake the next day to compensate for altered insulin levels.
– Avoid accumulating a sleep debt from not getting enough sleep. That extra Netflix episode isn’t worth it.
– Do not leave electronic devices, artificial light and telephones in the bedroom.
– Keep your sleeping space cool and well ventilated. You can even try cooling pillows, mattresses, and sheets.
– Invest in a quality mattress, so that your body rests comfortably and soundly. Do you want suggestions? Explore our marketplace, packed with editor- and expert-verified mattress recommendations.
– Create a sleep routine to prepare your body for rest.
– Consider tracking your sleep with a wearable device to get an estimate of your total sleep time.
– Use a sleep mask or blackout curtains to block light.
– Try a white noise machine to cancel out annoying sounds.
– Use your bedroom only for sleeping (and making love).
A good night’s sleep is necessary for the body’s hormonal balance, which is important for bodily functions and processes. Stick to a sleep routine, aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and limit your sugar intake the day after a sleep interruption. It can help you regulate your hormones and reap the health benefits that come with it.
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