Sleep, Testosterone, & Insulin Sensitivity

Sleep, Testosterone, & Insulin Sensitivity – Sleep is when your body produces most of its testosterone. One study gathered a group of healthy men and tested their T levels first thing in the morning after a night of sleep. The guys who slept for 4 hours had T levels within the 200-300 ng/dl range. However, the guys who slept for 8 hours woke up with T levels hovering between 500-700 ng/dl.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Sleep deprivation can reduce insulin sensitivity, which can lead to fat gain, diabetes, and adverse heart conditions. One study found that lack of sleep impairs your body’s ability to respond to insulin, one of the hormones that regulates your metabolism. Seven healthy men and women spent eight days and nights in a sleep lab. On the first four days, they slept “normally.” But on the final four days, their sleep was restricted to 4.5 hours. After the four nights of sleep deprivation, blood tests revealed that the participants’ overall insulin sensitivity was 16% lower than after the nights of normal sleep. Moreover, their fat cells’ sensitivity to insulin dropped by 30% to levels typically seen in people who are obese.

The author of the study said, “This is the equivalent of metabolically aging someone 10-20 years just from four nights of partial sleep restriction. Fat cells need sleep, and when they don’t get enough sleep, they become metabolically groggy.”

Set a goal time to get to bed every night that will allow for at least 8-hours of sleep.
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