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Chemical Messenger: How Hormones

Help Us Sleep

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Biomedicine & Biochem

Biochem
istry

By: Jo Abbott, Posted on: September 17, 2015

The activities we do during the day from having a fight with a partner to using our iPhones at night also aect our
hormone levels and, in turn, our quality of sleep. Jan Faukner/Shutterstock

When it comes to motives for getting a good nights sleep we dont usually think
about our bodys hormones. But sleep allows many of our hormones to replenish so
we have the optimal energy, immunity, appetite and coping ability to face the days
highs and lows.
The activities we do during the day from having a fight with a partner, using our

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iPhones at night, running in a race, to travelling overseas also aect our hormone
levels and, in turn, our quality of sleep.
For both men and women, changes in our levels of sex hormones can aect how well
we sleep. These dierences also change with age.
Understanding the connections between hormones and sleep may help improve your
own sleep and well-being.

What are hormones?

Our bodys hormones are like chemical messages in the bloodstream which cause a
change in a particular cell or organ and surrounding tissues. The hormone
adrenaline, for example, is produced by the adrenal glands (on top of the kidneys) and
helps prepare the bodys fight or flight response during times of stress.

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Hormones control many of the bodys processes, including growth, development,

reproduction, responding to stress, metabolism and energy balance.
Hormones are linked with sleep in a number of ways.
Embed

Hormones affect sleep through our stress levels

Some hormones, such as adrenaline, make us feel more alert and prepared for action.
This then makes it hard for us to go to sleep. To prevent this eect its best to do relax
ing activities before bedtime, rather than stressful work tasks or intense exercise.

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When stress is long lasting, adrenocorticotrophic hormone within the pituitary gland
(attached to the base of the brain) triggers the release of cortisone and cortisol from

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Levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone tend be higher in people with insomnia than

in good sleepers. This suggests that excessive arousal and ongoing stressors con
tribute to the insomnia.
Elite athletes can have diculty getting to sleep because they tend to have high levels
of cortisol throughout the day, including in the evening.

Hormones released during sleep boost our immune system

and make us hungry
Sleep is a time when several of the bodys hormones are released into the blood
stream. These include growth hormone, which is essential for growth and tissue
repair, including in adults.
Sleep helps to balance our appetite by maintaining optimal levels of the hormones
ghrelin and leptin. So, when we get less sleep than normal we may feel an urge to eat
more.
Sleep also controls levels of the hormones insulin and cortisol so that we wake up
hungry, prompting us to eat breakfast, and we are prepared for facing daytime stress.
If we get less sleep than normal our levels of prolactin may get out of balance and we
can end up with a weakened immune system, diculty concentrating and carbohy
drate cravings during the day.

Hormones stop us from having to get up in the night to go to

the bathroom
Changes in hormonal levels during sleep, including higher levels of aldosterone and
antidiuretic hormone, prevent us from needing to go to the toilet. In children, while
the hormonal system is still developing, bedwetting may be partly influenced by low
levels of antidiuretic hormone.

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Hormones make us feel sleepy at night

Hormone levels also influence the timing of when we feel sleepy and awake our
body clock or sleep-wake cycle. The hormone melatonin is released with darkness and
tells our body its time to sleep. This is why being around too much bright light before
bed can aect our sleep as it can stop the release of melatonin. Its also why it can be
hard for night-time shift workers to sleep during the day.
While artificial melatonin is available, taking the wrong dosage and at the wrong time
of day can make things worse, so its best used with the guidance of a medical doctor.

Hormones give us a wake-up call in the morning

Levels of the hormone cortisol dip at bedtime and increase during the night, peaking
just before waking. This acts like a wake-up signal, turning on our appetite and ener
gy.
When we travel long distances our bodys sleep-wake cycle takes a while to adjust. So
increased cortisol levels and hunger may occur at inappropriate times of the day.

For women, changes in sex hormones affect sleep

The relationship between hormones and the sleep-wake cycle in women is further
influenced by the menstrual cycle. Just before a womans period, hormonal changes,
including the sudden drop in levels of progesterone, aect the bodys temperature
control, which in turn can reduce the amount of REM sleep. This is the stage of
sleep when most of our dreams occur.
For women with severe premenstrual symptoms reduced levels of melatonin before
bedtime just before their menstrual period can cause poor sleep, including night-time
awakenings or daytime sleepiness.
Changes in hormone levels also contribute to sleeping diculties during pregnancy.
Increased progesterone levels can cause daytime sleepiness, particularly in the first
trimester. High levels of oestrogen and progesterone during pregnancy can also
cause nasal swelling and lead to snoring.
During menopause, low levels of oestrogen may contribute to sleeping diculties.
Changes in hormone levels mean that body temperature is less stable and there may
be increases in adrenaline levels, both of which can aect sleep.
The loss of oestrogen causes body fat to move more to the stomach area, which
increases the chances of women having snoring and sleep apnoea.

For men, testosterone levels affect sleep

For men, levels of testosterone are highest during sleep and require at least three

hours of sleep to reach this peak. Low levels of testosterone in men, which can occur
with sleep deprivation, ageing and physical problems, have been associated with a
reduction in sleep eciency and changes to the stages of sleep men experience.
Testosterone can be taken as a drug but abuse of it can lead to other sleep problems.

Hormones influence our dreams

Finally, as we sleep, our hormones, including levels of oxytocin and cortisol, may
influence the content of our dreams.
By doing things to promote good sleep, such as reducing stress, engaging in relaxing
evening routines before bed, going to bed and getting up at regular times, or seeking
professional help for sleeping diculties, we can facilitate the replenishing activities
of our hormones that help us make the most of our day and optimise our well-being.

This article is part of an occasional series, Chemical Messengers, on hormones and

the body. Stay tuned for other articles on hunger, mood and sexual desire.
This article first appeared on the Conversation. Click here for the original article.

Visit the Elsevier Store to access books on hormones, sleep and much more! Below is
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Handbook of Hormones collates fundamental information about the structure and

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Hormones, 3rd Edition oers a comprehensive treatment of the hormones of humans

all viewed from the context of current theories of their action in the framework of our
current understanding their physiological actions as well as their molecular struc
tures, and those of their receptors.

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