By Sandra Mannon, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Your hormones are responsible for so many changes that take place within your body – they help you to grow, to reproduce, they regulate your appetite, and they manage your sleep. It’s hardly surprising then that different hormones can affect your sleep patterns in different ways. Let’s have a look at how they influence your sleep patterns and what you can do when an imbalance strikes!
Hormones are chemical messengers that play a vital role in regulating the body’s many processes, systems, and functions. The body needs a range of different hormones to function properly. They’re released through the endocrine system, a network of organs and glands located throughout the body.
Hormones are responsible for many bodily functions, including:
• Metabolism and appetite
• Growth
• Body temperature
• Sexual function, drive, and reproduction
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Sleep-wake cycles
The production and function of many hormones in the body are influenced by other body functions, like sleep.
Estrogen and Progesterone’s effect on sleep
Hormones affect life, energy and sleep. If you’re a woman, estrogen and progesterone are key players.
Sleep disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause are sex-specific factors that can impair sleep quality. In fact, in a National Sleep Foundation poll, around 60% of American women say they only get a good night’s sleep a few nights per week or less and 67% say they frequently experience a sleep problem–particularly perimenopausal women. This gets worse with age, as 30% of postmenopausal women report getting a good night’s sleep only a few nights per month.1
Although estrogen and progesterone are best known for their roles in women’s reproductive health, both men and women produce progesterone and estrogen.
Estrogen, the main female sex hormone controls a woman’s menstruation cycle. There are three main types of estrogen: estradiol, estriol, and estrone. These forms of estrogen are produced at different times in a woman’s life, such as during childbearing age, pregnancy, and menopause.
Progesterone helps maintain pregnancy, and its levels are at its highest during that time.
Progesterone levels and estrogen levels fluctuate during the various stages of a woman’s life, influencing sleep quality along the way. This happens most frequently around the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
Many women report sleeping poorly during these times, especially if they experience side effects like menstrual cramping, body pain during pregnancy, or hot flashes during menopause. Because of these hormonal changes, women are more likely to experience insomnia than men.
Testosterone’s effect on sleep
When it comes to sleep, testosterone is often the forgotten hormone. We know a great deal about the importance of testosterone as the male sex hormone, its role in the body and the effects of testosterone deficits, particularly for men. But there’s been relatively little attention paid to the effects of testosterone on sleep, for both men and women.
Testosterone levels fluctuate during the day, and they’re at their highest during REM sleep. If you’re not getting enough REM sleep, it can affect your body’s testosterone levels. Reduced testosterone can sometimes be linked to snoring and insomnia symptoms as well, which can create a vicious cycle of reduced testosterone levels and poor sleep.
Implications for men
Making the decision to consult a physician is the first important step, one that unfortunately can still be a difficult one for some men. Men who are struggling with issues related to sexual function should have their sleep evaluated by their physician. In some cases, hormone replacement therapy for conditions such as erectile dysfunction may be appropriate, independently or in conjunction with treatment for a sleep disorder.
Implications for women
Women are particularly vulnerable to sleep problems related to hormone changes and deficiencies, throughout their lives. We talk most frequently about estrogen and progesterone, the primary hormones involved in menstruation. But testosterone should be added to the list of hormonal factors to consider when thinking about hormone-related sleep problems in women.
How do I fix the problem?
Hormone Optimization is the balance of nature and science providing extraordinary benefits. Optimizing hormones may help relieve age related health issues including decreased bone density, poor heart health, abnormal breast and prostate health, diminished cognition and memory and reduced energy and sex drive.
The BioTe Method of hormone optimization uses bioidentical hormone pellets, which contain estrogen and/or testosterone. Patient specific pellets are placed subcutaneously in the body and release a continuous stream of hormones. These pellets dissolve and are absorbed into the body.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Hormone Optimization can help you get a better night’s sleep, contact the highly trained team at Aspire for Wellness Together. At Aspire4WT we are proud to offer the highest standard of care to our patients to help them look and feel their best. We believe that each patient is unique, so your individualized treatment plan will cater to what works best for you.
For more information about our services or to schedule a consultation, contact us today at (941) 260-7804. You can also check our website at www.aspire4wt.com.
Aspire for Wellness Toghter
941-260-7804 | www.aspire4wt.com
1. Claps, M. (2019) Progesterone 101: This one thing can change your sleep, Paleo f(x)™. Available at: https://www.paleofx.com/progesterone/.