The relation between sleep and Hormones is a vice versa process as problems in proper sleep can cause a hormone imbalance, on the other hand, if there is a hormonal imbalance in your body you can have sleeping problems too.
Relation Between Your Sleep Pattern And Hormone Levels
These two things go hand in hand and messing up one results in messing the other one around.
What are hormones? How do they affect the human body?
Hormones are actually the body’s chemical messenger. Their work is to travel in the body’s organs and tissues then balance their work. These chemicals work slowly and affect certain bodily processes which include:-
• Growth and development of the body.
• Metabolism – It is the process by which your body gets energy from the foods you eat throughout the day. Metabolism also regulates body weight in individuals.
• Sexual functioning of organs.
• Reproduction processes.
• Mood.
Where are hormones produced?
Hormones are produced in a special group of cells which are known as the endocrine glands.
Some of the major endocrine glands of our body are:-
- Pituitary gland
- Pineal land
- Thyroid gland
- Adrenal gland
- Pancreas
How does sleeping help your body?
The majority of adults require 7 or more hours of sleep regularly. It is not only about the time. But also about the quality of sleep so that you feel that you’ve rested enough.
Here are some ways in which sleeping helps your body:-
- You don’t fall sick easily.
- Your weight would be well maintained with proper sleep.
- It also lowers the probability of health issues such as diabetes and heart disease.
- Reduces stress from your mind and makes you feel relaxed.
- Gives you cleaner vision about things to do.
- It removes drowsiness hence removing chances of mishaps happening due to it.
How are sleeping and hormone levels of the body interconnected?
Sleep impacts a lot of hormone production and regulation throughout the body and vice versa.
Some of the hormones which are directly influenced by less sleep are:-
- Cortisol – It is the hormone which is known as stress hormone. It is produced in the adrenal glands of the body. It’s main function is to regulate other hormones of the body. This hormone can be effected by poor sleeping habits of the person.
- Hunger hormones – Sleep is responsible For regulating the metabolism of the body. Poor sleeping pattern can hamper the production of hunger levels of the body. It can make you suffer from binge eating hence increasing weight of the body. The hunger hormones affected are namely leptin , ghrelin and insulin. These hormones are responsible for usage of your consumed food and its storage.
- Melatonin – It Is the hormone which regulates the circadian rhythm, this means the process which looks after your capabilities of falling and staying asleep . The hormone is produced in the pineal gland of the body. Poor sleep timings have direct impact on melatonin and its important function of promoting the sleep in the brain of a person.
- Estrogen , thyroid and progesterone – The health of the Reproductive system is looked after by estrogen and progesterone . Whereas thyroid is related with the metabolism in the body. Not sleeping properly causes the estrogen and progesterone to disrupt their balance and it also slows down the thyroid processing which causes the metabolism in the body to slow down .
Conclusion
Yes, sleeping is required for the body’s proper functioning but if you sleep more than required then it has its own side effects too. Too much sleep results in grogginess, fatigue during the day, metabolism be in reduced, failing to focus, and disrupted sleep cycles. It is better to sleep from 7 hours to 9 hours to keep your body’s hormone production at its peak.