Restful sleep and the balance of hormones

Hormones have the task of controlling the body. In addition to vital functions, hormones also control, among other things, the day-night rhythmthe attention or the sexuality. It is therefore obvious that hormones are also closely linked to sleep health.

The cortisol awakening reaction takes place in the early hours of the morning and causes the level of the stress hormone cortisol to rise by 50-150%. This reaction takes place in all people, but the level of the cortisol increase can vary. This cortisol awakening reaction is not yet fully explained, but it is assumed that it serves to mobilize the body's energy reserves to get up. Even if the release of the stress hormone cortisol in the morning is completely normal, unfavorable living conditions have an influence on the release of more of the stress hormone. Sleep phases that are too short or not restful lead to an increased release, which in turn has subsequent reactions in the body.

Thyrotropic control loop

The thyroid gland produces the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyroninewhich are responsible for the absorption of food and physical activity, e.g. the feeling of tiredness as well as blood pressure, pulse and body temperature are regulated by the thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland is involved in a complex regulatory cycle, which can quickly lead to maladjustments that can quickly manifest themselves in symptoms such as insomnia. The right concentration of this thyroid hormone must be present in the body in order to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, too little sleep also upsets the balance of the thyroid gland. Short-term sleep deprivation disrupts the balance of thyroid hormones and can lead to permanent hypothyroidism.

Testosterone levels

Lack of sleep reduces testosterone - Training - Muscle building

The level of the male sex hormone testosterone is important for muscle building, for example. The production of testosterone begins when we fall asleep, peaks in the REM phase and remains at this level until you wake up. As the body regenerates during the night, a sufficient regeneration phase with enough sleep is also necessary after a hard, demanding workout so that training successes also manifest themselves permanently. Restrictions on sleep significantly reduce testosterone production. It is stated that testosterone levels are 20% lower in men with poor sleep. [1] At the same time, it has been shown that sleep is often worse in men with low testosterone levels.

This correlation requires further investigation.

Oestrogen

During sleep melatonin is produced, which stimulates the release of the female sex hormone oestrogen is slowed down. If this interplay is interrupted by a lack of sleep, a larger amount of oestrogen can be released. There are indications that this excess oestrogen is responsible for breast and ovarian cancer.

Reduced fertility

Studies with female shift workers have shown that irregular sleeping times disrupt the female cycle and thus also impair fertility. Stress hormones, which can be produced by a lack of sleep, do not affect fertility directly, but indirectly by impairing the mental state and thus the libido.

Growth hormones

The body regenerates during sleep. We have already mentioned elsewhere that it is important to get enough sleep. If you want to build muscle, for example, you should also plan appropriate rest periods in addition to training. Empirical studies with newborns have shown that the more sleep they get, the faster they grow.

Children who did not get enough rest experienced developmental delays, including problems with sexual maturity, for example. As the body also regenerates during sleep in adulthood, sufficient rest breaks should be taken.