A new study has found that young men who slept less than five hours a night for a week had significantly lower levels of testosterone than when they had a full night's sleep.
A new study has found that young men who slept less than five hours a night for a week had significantly lower levels of testosterone than when they had a full night's sleep.
Testosterone deficiency is associated with low energy, reduced libido, poor concentration, and fatigue. It is also critical in building strength and muscle mass, and bone density.
“Low testosterone levels are associated with reduced well being and vigor, which may also occur as a consequence of sleep loss,” said Eve Van Cauter, professor in medicine.
"As research progresses, low sleep duration and poor sleep quality are increasingly recognized as endocrine disruptors," he added.
Cauter and his colleagues found that skipping sleep reduces a young man's testosterone levels by the same amount as aging 10 to 15 years.
The investigation was conducted on 10 men recruited from the University of Chicago campus area. The participants, who were 24 years old on an average, lean and in good health, underwent a series of psychological and physical tests to screen for endocrine or psychiatric disorders.
For three nights, the men slept up to 10 hours, and then eight nights sleeping less than five hours.
The researchers obtained blood samples every 15 to 30 minutes for 24 hours on the last day of each experiment.
They found that the effects of sleep loss on testosterone levels were apparent after just one week of short sleep.
Five hours of sleep decreased their testosterone levels by 10 to 15%. The men had the lowest testosterone levels in the afternoons on their sleep restricted days, between 2 pm and 10 pm.
The participants also self-reported their mood and vigor levels throughout the study. They reported a decline in their sense of well-being as their blood testosterone levels declined. Their mood and vigor fell more every day as the sleep restriction part of the study progressed.
The finding appears in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}