Low-quality sleep or sleep deprivation can affect testosterone levels in ways you can’t imagine!
Most of the T-secretion occurs during sleeping hours in men. So, any problem affecting your sleep quality can interfere with the secretion and production of this crucial male sex hormone.
Whether obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, or sleep fragmentation, every sleep disorder disrupts hormones in one way or another. Though, the effects may vary depending on the sleep issue and its intensity.
Luckily, lifestyle changes and other tips can help fight back. You just need to know how sleep does affect testosterone to get things right.
This blog delves into the link between sleep and testosterone, but our discussion begins by answering how sleep affects testosterone.
How Does Sleep Affect Testosterone?
Sleep and testosterone share a strong connection.
Sleep disturbs the male sex hormone directly and even indirectly because of its function in the production of the hormone.
In general, the human body creates and secretes the male hormone while you are asleep. Once you are awake, the creation and release of testosterone decimates.
Precisely, T-level goes to its peak during REM sleep (deep sleep). It is the last phase of the sleep cycle providing adequate rest to the mind and body.
The link between REM sleep and testosterone determines the condition of the male hormone in the body. Thus, it doesn’t take much time for the male hormone to drop down due to sudden sleep loss or sleep disorder.
A study showed people sleeping for 5.5 hours or less each night for 8 days had almost 10-15% reduction in the male hormone. This shows a tight sleep and testosterone levels are associated.
The inability to enter the deep sleep mode, essential for sufficient testosterone production, can be a potential reason.
The consequent reduction in T-levels varied with the duration of wakefulness, and even decimation continued in prolonged wakefulness.
Thus, it becomes important to get a quality night’s sleep. You need to fall asleep fast and enter REM to increase male hormones. For this, improving sleep quality can help.
The above discussion is just a general overview of the role of sleep in testosterone production. There’s a grander scientific outlook on how sleep does affect testosterone levels. It helps you understand the gravity of sleep for maintaining a healthy male hormone level.
Sleep and Testosterone: Studies
The T-levels can differ depending on sleep quality. Various reports present solid facts on how sleep disrupts the male sex hormone.
This section aims to explore the relationship between sleep and testosterone from a scientific point of view.
Let’s first discuss the study quoted above in detail. Afterward, we will look into other scientific evidence.
Study #1: 1-week sleep restriction affected T-levels
A study examined the impact of a week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in male participants. Healthy men who slept for 5 hours per night for a week experienced almost a 10% to 15% decrease in testosterone levels.
Statistically, on large scale, 15% of the US working population follows such a sleep routine. Henceforth, a huge number of people are subjected to the dangerous consequences of poor sleep on testosterone.
In general, t-level depletion due to aging remains around 1 to 2% per year. This makes the finding concerning with such a huge drop in testosterone levels.
Moreover, the finding doesn’t mean each week of sleep restriction adds to the 15% depreciation in male hormones.
Instead, the suggested inadequacy would continue, until you focus on improving your sleep pattern. However, additional investigation into the relationship between the two can put forth a more detailed picture.
Study #2: Testosterone and Circadian Rhythm
A study tried to establish how testosterone is regulated by circadian or homeostatic (sleep). 7 healthy male participants followed a different sleep duration.
This includes habituation (sleep between 23:00–07:00 h), night sleep (23:00–07:00 h), and day sleep (07:00–15:00 h). Their serum testosterone level was tested hourly.
Mean testosterone level elevated during both night and day sleep. Moreover, there was a significant spike in T-level during sleep irrespective of time, but it lessened during waking up. But the circadian effects were nominal on testosterone levels in the participants.
From the above study, one can conclude that sleeping for 7 to 8 hours daily irrespective of your bedtime maintains a healthy testosterone level.
At the same time, it also signifies the importance of continuous sleeping rather than sleeping for a few hours at night and compensating for it by sleeping for a couple of hours during the day.
In other words, afternoon naps may not benefit t-production if you focus on total sleep duration.
The key is to sleep for a duration that helps enter deep sleep i.e., the REM phase to get your male hormone right.
Study #3: Sleep Deprivation in Military Training Lessens T-level
U.S. Army Rangers have to maintain intense physical fitness for training and mission deployment. Testosterone is crucial for excessive muscular fitness and strength.
So, high t-levels are non-negotiable. Sometimes their work requires them to be sleep deprived. The general public suffers the worst fate of sleep loss by an abrupt decline in testosterone.
Thus, the study published in the International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine highlights how sleep deprivation can hinder the physical performance required of military personnel.
Two studies were carried out with 76 and 44 male participants respectively. Researchers compared the t-level post-sleep deprivation from sampled t-level before the test.
The first study showed an almost 28% reduction in testosterone levels. The second study showed an almost 25.4% reduction in the male hormone.
The data shows how sleep loss does affect testosterone. It can ultimately hinder the physical training, fitness, and performance of even the fittest population like U.S. Army Rangers.
We have discussed multiple research articles, papers, and studies on the topic. Now, let’s drive the main conclusion from the above-shared scientific overview.
Main Points from the Discussion
The above systematic studies point out some significant aspects. Let’s sum it up!
- Sleep loss can devastate your male hormone level and a huge population suffers from it.
- Whether sleeping during day hours or night hours, 7-8 hours of quality night sleep ensures a healthy testosterone level.
- Sleep deprivation even decimated t-levels in an elite physical fit class of the US.
- Afternoon naps won’t compensate for inadequate continuous sleep. The key is to enter REM or deep sleep mode.
- With a sufficient quality night’s sleep, reversing low testosterone levels is possible.
The scientific stance showcases how testosterone level suffers due to inadequate sleep.
Thus, it becomes crucial to know how much sleep can affect testosterone to prevent the harsh consequence. On top of that, knowing how much sleep does increase testosterone is equally important to ensure healthy T-levels.
How Much Sleep to Increase Testosterone?
Sleep does help testosterone production, secretion, and regulation. Certainly, sleeping lessen than a specific duration can affect your male hormone level.
In general, aim to sleep for 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily.
This is a general timeline good for maintaining a healthy t-level. Sleep duration less than the suggested hinders the production and secretion of testosterone and impairs the function listed above.
Nonetheless, some habits can improve sleep quality, which can improve your t-level. The next section is solely dedicated to it.
Sleep Routine That Can Help Improve Testosterone Level
Poor quality sleep leads to numerous downsides. Prominently, it impairs your male hormone production resulting in major health concerns like hindered men’s health.
However, following the tips listed below enhances sleep duration and quality.
Here’s how to improve your sleep!
- Follow Sleep Schedule: try to hit the bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Plan the day providing 7 to 8 hours per night for sleep. It helps sort out your circadian rhythm.
- Avoid electronic devices: blue lights coming out of mobile, tabs, iPad, TV, and more increase alertness. This can cause trouble falling asleep. So, stop using them an hour before hitting the bed.
- Diet before hitting the bed: people tend to eat heavy meals before going to bed. This can trigger the digestive process preventing you to fall asleep. Try having light dinners three hours before entering your bed.
- Keep your bedroom dark and cool: try to maintain a sleep-inducing environment to fall asleep faster. A lightless or low-light room with a cool temperature works great for sleeping.
- Bedtime routine: practicing a routine 30 to 60 minutes before falling asleep benefits the course. For instance, it includes things like brushing teeth, reading books, writing journals, listening to music, etc.
- Skip caffeine after 3: the compound can stay in the body for 6 to 8 hours causing alertness. Having it after 3 p.m. will make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Get your bed right: use fluffy cushions and good quality mattress for better quality sleep. Moreover, use a light airy night suits for improving sleep duration.
- Have sleep-inducing food: foods rich in amino acids l-tryptophan increase melatonin production. The hormone is essential for getting good sleep. Add foods like dairy products, turkey, tuna, oats, bananas, seeds, and nuts. Having lavender tea and chamomile tea can promote sleep.
- Meditation: practicing meditation emphasizes breathing which increases relaxation. 10-minute meditation sessions can boost sleep duration, mindfulness, and sleep quality.
To Sum Up the Section
Following the above-mentioned tips does help elevate testosterone levels by promoting sleep. Still, the efficacy depends on how you approach the tips and how long you stick to them.
Nonetheless, there are some questions requiring equal attention. We need to give some time to them as well.
ALSO READ: 20 Testosterone-Boosting Foods
FAQs
In this section, we have answered some frequently asked questions regarding sleep and testosterone. So, without wasting much time, let’s get into it.
#1. Does REM sleep increase testosterone?
If poor quality sleep led to a huge decline in the male hormone, improving your REM and deep sleep can demonstrate amazing benefits.
As you begin to have more REM sleep, your t-level will revert back to normal. Various study shows how catching up on long-duration sleep can work.
#2. Does waking up early increase testosterone?
The t-level depends on the sleep duration, specifically if you enter the REM phase or not.
So, waking up early or late doesn’t really matter. What’s important is sleeping for at least 8 hours to reach REM. In this phase, the human body tends to produce as well as secrete more male sex hormones.
#3. Does sleeping during the day affect testosterone?
The circulation of the t-level has a discrete pattern in healthy adult men. It tends to increase during sleep hours while beginning at its peak at the time of wakening.
Meanwhile, it decreases while staying awake during the day. So, an afternoon nap may work, but such short-duration sleep may not offer a significant difference.
However, if you sleep for 7 to 8 hours during the day, it can provide similar t-boosting benefits as night sleep.
From the entire discussion, it is clear that sleep does affect testosterone anyhow. In the end, read the final words to shape your opinion about the interrelation between sleep and testosterone.
Takeaway
Poor quality sleep leads to a real-time fall in testosterone levels!
The scientific analysis shared above along with the research articles and papers support the significance of quality sleep for healthy t-levels. It is because of the pivotal importance of testosterone in human health.
The steep decline in the male hormone leads to major health problems. Particularly, folks into bodybuilding suffer the worst fate from low t-levels, which hinders their muscle growth and increases fat accumulation while dropping energy levels.
Fortunately, knowing how to improve sleep does increase testosterone and resolve the issues. This blog contains vital sleep-improving tips which work for restoring the male hormone back to normal.
Is there any other question left? Share it with us in the section right below!