We all have hormones in our bodies that help us stay healthy and regulated. One of the main hormones you might know a little bit about is testosterone. While many people assume that this is mainly a hormone that affects men, it is also present in smaller amounts in women. More importantly, testosterone is connected to our sleep in ways that might surprise you.
This article will explore how testosterone is connected to sleep and how it affects our rest. But before we get into that, we’ll explore what testosterone is, why it matters, and then explore testosterone’s impact on how well we rest and if we experience sleep disruptions. If you’re ready to learn more, read on!
What is Testosterone?
As mentioned, testosterone is a hormone that everyone has in their body, even women. Testosterone is one of the main male hormones that helps encourage the development of male characteristics and fertility. It’s also associated with a healthy libido, mood regulation, and muscle growth. Even women benefit from healthy, lower levels of testosterone in their bodies. It’s a hormone that every man will benefit from throughout their lifetime, even when they are still in the womb.
For men, as they get older, their testosterone levels will decrease, which can be a normal part of aging. There is typically a 1% to 2% drop in testosterone levels as a man ages, which can be associated with reduced libido, poor concentration, fatigue, and even lower energy levels. These symptoms are all a normal part of the aging process for men.
However, if it drops too low at any point in their life, it has been shown to lead to other issues, like fertility challenges, becoming overweight, and more (Source: PubMed). This is a major area of concern, but what most people don’t know is that sleep is also impacted when you have too little or too much testosterone in your system.
The Connection Between Sleep and Testosterone
While being a growth hormone that predominantly affects men, you would think that it doesn’t have much impact on sleep. However, it definitely does! Several studies have shown a connection between sleep and testosterone that is often overlooked. You might be surprised to find out that there is a bidirectional relationship. In other words, testosterone levels impact sleep as much as sleep impacts testosterone levels.
Experts have found that getting poor sleep can actually lead to less testosterone, but low testosterone levels can also increase the prevalence and severity of sleep disorders like insomnia. This is an important finding, and it is easily explainable if you know how testosterone is regulated within the body.
Testosterone is typically highest during the morning and declines throughout the day, all controlled via the hypothalamus. That’s why when you lose sleep, your hormone levels suffer: because your brain is unable to go about its normal routine as expected. Now that you understand a little bit more about the testosterone-sleep connection let’s take a look at how testosterone affects your sleep.
How Sleep is Affected by Your Testosterone Levels
Unfortunately, your hormone levels impact your sleep a lot more than you think. Testosterone is no exception, especially for men. Here is a look at the main ways that testosterone levels impact your sleep:
- Low Testosterone Levels Might Indicate Sleep Disorders: If you have tested and found lower testosterone levels in your body, it might be an indication of a sleep disorder. Those who have obstructive sleep apnea have actually presented lower levels of testosterone and increased weight. Insomnia is also associated with lower levels of testosterone (Source: PubMed).
- Low Levels Also Lead to Lower Sleep Efficiency: From reduced slow-wave sleep to more sleep disruptions, lower testosterone levels do not bode well for our rest. There are several studies that confirm this, showing how testosterone levels—when they are too low—can reduce our sleep efficiency, duration, and quality overall (Source: PubMed).
- Lack of Sleep Lowers Overall Hormone Levels: While we’ve looked at how sleep is impacted by testosterone, it’s also important to consider that lack of sleep has a similar effect: less testosterone in our bodies. Lower testosterone levels can have adverse impacts on our overall health and lead to changes in our body, both physically and mentally (Source: PubMed).
- Too Much Testosterone Worsens Sleep: In some cases, people have turned to the use of hormone therapy to help, but even this can harm your rest. One study found that high doses of this hormone shortened people’s sleep and worsened sleep apnea for older men but did not harm them in other ways (Source: PubMed). This suggests that moderate levels could help, but too much still hurts us!
As you can see, having unbalanced testosterone levels is not good for our rest at all and can lead to disruptions. That’s why we have to work to support our hormone levels, which involves a few methods.
How to Support Healthy Testosterone Levels and Proper Rest
When it comes to supporting healthy hormone levels, there are many things we can do. The first step is to focus on managing age-related changes that might impact you. As long as you live a healthy lifestyle, you can overcome the challenges of too little or too much testosterone in your system. That means eating healthy, whole foods, getting enough activity and exercise, and managing your stress.
Because cortisol can influence our hormones, we also have to be mindful of our stress and take steps to create healthy bedtime routines to unwind and relax before we rest. When we do that, we can help our bodies recover and prepare for great rest! If needed, there is always hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which can be pursued with the help of a healthcare professional who can guide you to make decisions based on your situation.
Manage Your Testosterone Levels and Enjoy Adequate Rest
With insight into how testosterone levels impact your rest and vice versa, you can take steps to support your overall health. Whether you’re young or old, have sleep disorders, or want to improve your rest, these tips can help you. How will you manage your hormone levels to boost your potential for excellent rest?
