Low Testosterone And Sleep Deprivation

What is testosterone?

Testosterone is a critical hormone for both men and women. Sleep deprivation causes low testosterone levels over time.

In men, it’s produced in the testicles in response to signals from the pituitary gland and adrenal glands.  It is responsible for the physical changes that happen to males during puberty, muscle growth, and sperm production. It is a key hormone in several bodily processes for both men and women. 

In men, testosterone plays a major role in:

• Libido
• Erectile function
• Sperm production
• Bone density and muscle mass
• Red blood cell production
• Growth of facial and body hair
• Mood

In women, testosterone and other androgens play a major role in:

• Bone health
• Breast health
• Fertility
• Sex drive
• Menstrual health
• Vaginal health

Raise your hand if you’ve seen commercial marketing some wonder pill that promises to help guys fight off “low T” and have them feeling like they’re back to being 25? Studies show that by 30, testosterone levels start dropping about 1% per year on average. Treating low testosterone with hormone replacement therapy doesn’t directly lead to better sleep

Common symptoms of low testosterone production:

• Low sex drive 
• Everyday sluggishness.
• Increased body fat.
• Decreased strength/mass of muscles.
• Fragile bones.
• Decreased body hair.
• Swelling/tenderness in the breast tissue.
• Hot flashes.
• Increased fatigue.
• Effects on cholesterol metabolism.

The market for testosterone replacement therapy is booming, but one foundational component to the underlying problem is not being addressed. Any guesses here?! SLEEP. Sleep and testosterone are interconnected. 

There are numerous sleep studies that have found a significant correlation between adequate sleep and healthy testosterone production. “In the USA, the average sleep time is 6.9 h per night and 20% of adults sleep less than 6.5 h per night as compared to an average optimal sleep time of 8.2 h per night.”  The majority of the daily testosterone release in men occurs during sleep. To put simply, less sleep = lower testosterone. Especially in older men, total sleep time is the predictor of morning levels of testosterone. In summary, sleep deprivation leads to low testosterone levels.  source .

Benefits of healthy levels of Testosterone

• Maintaining a Healthy Libido
• Burning Fat:
• Building Muscle
• Avoiding Injury
• Brain Health

Tune into podcast episode with Doc Parsley and Barbell Shrugged: 1 Quick Way To Naturally Increase Testosterone: Sleep. Learn more about how getting adequate sleep will help both men and women maintain healthy levels of testosterone.