Recent research suggests that there exists a direct relationship between sleep and levels of testosterone. It states that napping has a huge impact on the testosterone levels in the body. The production of hormones is deeply interconnected with the circadian rhythm. Thus, a constant lack of sleep can certainly lead to a drop in the testosterone level.
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Significant role of Testosterone and it’s impact on sleep patterns
The research mentions that Testosterone plays a significant role in regulating various processes in the body, including libido, erectile functioning, muscle and bone cells, and the production of red blood cells.
John Lynam, a board-certified urologist in the American Osteopathic Association, further mentions that factors like sleep and age can significantly affect testosterone levels. She acknowledges that a lack of napping can cause a huge drop in the level of testosterone, but that the lack of it can worsen other health issues that in turn might affect it.
Lynam propounds that a decrease in the quality of napping or its inadequate duration, a disruption of the circadian rhythm, or other disorders like nap apnea can be majorly responsible for decreasing testosterone production and, subsequently, low blood testosterone levels. Also, testosterone levels play a major role in regulating the nap-wake cycle.
Darshan Patel, an assistant professor of urology at the University of California, San Diego, states that research shows that in healthier men, testosterone levels are high at the onset of sleep and climb to a peak at the first REM episode. As per the Sleep Foundation, REM, or rapid eye movement, usually indicates the stage that involves dreaming and the processing or consolation of memories. For people having traditional nap patterns the chance of the peak testosterone levels occur between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m.
In accordance with the research, the lowering of testosterone levels can lead to the experience of certain symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, fatigue, reduced muscle mass, and a prolonged feeling of anxiety or depression. A lack of sleep along with it can also lead to increased risk for obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, or other mental health conditions.
How to balance your Testosterone levels
Recent research states that a person requires at least three hours of sleep to maintain normal testosterone levels. A recent study of 10 healthy people shows that getting just five hours of it a week lowered male testosterone levels by 10 to 15 percent.
The research takes up a recent study mentioning non-standard shift workers who worked outside the usual timeframe of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and were more vulnerable to having low testosterone levels or even worsened symptoms of it like hypogonadism.
The report mentions how sleep and testosterone levels have a cyclical nature and a decrease in one can affect the other. Testosterone replacement therapy is also recently preferred by people, but it’s only effective when there is not a huge leap in the T-levels.
The Mayo Clinic has currently released a set of guidelines that can significantly help in regulating testosterone levels. The report states that by sticking to a schedule, avoiding heavy meals right before sleeping, cutting off on caffeine or alcohol, skipping naps, exercising regularly, and creating a healthy space by reducing stress, one can definitely manage to increase testosterone levels.
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