18 Aug Can TRT Improve Sleep?
There are lots of hormones that affect your sleep, and testosterone is one of them. Did you know that your body produces testosterone during REM sleep, and your testosterone levels are highest in the morning? So if you’re not getting enough deep sleep at night, your body can’t produce as much testosterone. If your testosterone levels are low, you’re more likely to get sleep disturbances. If you’re having sleep disturbances, you can’t get reach REM sleep where your body produces testosterone and…well, the vicious cycle continues.
So we know that getting enough REM sleep is crucial to your testosterone levels, but what about the other way around? If you get your testosterone levels back to normal, do the sleep disturbances go away? And can testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) help do that?
When It Helps
Research has shown us that hormone imbalances can lead to sleep disturbances and insomnia. Scientists are still trying to figure out the reason behind why that is. There’s quite a bit of research that shows how estrogen and progesterone affect sleep, and although we know that testosterone can also affect sleep, no one has been able to pinpoint exactly how. But there is a correlation. One study by a graduate student from the University of Montreal reveals that low testosterone levels can inhibit the synchronization of the brain that is required to achieve deep sleep (remember, deep sleep is when your body produces testosterone). Getting your testosterone levels back to normal helps with the synchronization, and from there, your body can start picking up some of the slack. It’s natural for testosterone levels to begin declining around age 30, and TRT can help you restore those levels, letting you get more deep, restful sleep.
When It Doesn’t
Although TRT may help men with insomnia, it’s a different story if you have sleep apnea. The American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that there are over 18 million Americans with this condition, but the great majority of these individuals haven’t been diagnosed. Most people don’t even realize they have it.
Sleep apnea is a disorder where your breathing stops and starts repeatedly. Your breathing usually starts up again with a loud snore, and the disruption pulls your body out of REM sleep and into a light sleep. Not only does this interrupt your testosterone production, but you feel tired and groggy during the day, even though you think you had a full night’s rest.
If you have sleep apnea, it’s better to treat the sleep apnea first and your low T levels second. If you ignore the sleep apnea, increasing your testosterone levels might make your sleep apnea worse and increase the dangerous associated health risks.
If you’re interested in TRT, give us a call today! Your overall wellness is our top priority, so we’ll check your testosterone levels first and only recommend treatment if you need it. At LT Men’s Clinic, we offer injections, pellets, patches, and creams, and we’ll work with you to determine which method is right for you and your lifestyle.
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