Sleep + Fertility
Let’s start here…is this you?
Have trouble getting up in the morning
Use multiple alarm clocks
Need to be awakened in the morning
Feel groggy or tired upon waking
Takes you longer than 30 minutes to feel awake
Sleep 2+ hours longer on non workdays
Fall asleep at times when you should be awake
Desperate for an afternoon nap
Relies on afternoon sweets or caffeine to perk up
Your fertility is literally begging for help.
And in case you were wondering what ‘bad sleep’ means…inconsistent, fractured, suboptimal, limited, reduced, skipped, or desynchronized patterns all count as poor sleep.
Sleep and fertility health:
Sleep + Hormones. Long term sleep deficiency highly disrupts hormone balance and reduces fertility in both men and women. In males, diminished testosterone concentrations and immature sperm have been noted. In females, suboptimal progesterone, estrogen, leptin, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormones (FSH) are common. And, poor sleep increases activation of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis, which increase your primary stress hormone + inflammation.
Circadian Rhythm. Reproductive health is largely governed by a few key sex hormones, produced in synergy with the circadian rhythm. Desynchronized rhythms may yield lower estrogen and dysregulate menstrual cycles in women. Common cause of male-factor infertility: decrease in testosterone, reduced sperm motility. Night shift (aka: infertility shift) is problematic for reproduction because supresses melatonin and increases cortisol. This combo can contribute to early pregnancy loss, miscarriage, failed embryo implantation, anovulation and amenorrhea.
Sleep and Ovulation. You cannot get pregnant without ovulating. No exceptions. Ovulation is triggered by and tied to the sleep-wake cycle - your circadian rhythm. In women, luteinizing hormone(LH) triggers ovulation and helps with the hormone production needed to support and sustain a pregnancy. LH may be diminished with prolonged poor sleep. This can lead to a longer time trying to conceive.
Sleep and Lifestlye Diseases. It’s no secret that lifestyle diseases contribute to delayed time to pregnancy and rising infertility rates. Poor sleep contributes to:
Gestational diabetes
Insulin resistance
Dysregulated blood sugar
Cardiovascular disease
Hypertension
Obesity
Wonky hunger +fullness hormones
Weakened immune response
Depression
And, of course, nutrition Matters. Sleep quality check Ins are always part of an integrative nutrition approach. Diet and nutrition are well accepted therapies to promote healthy sleep. Some nutrient deficiencies are known to disrupt sleep patterns. And, certain foods, drinks, micronutrients, and minerals are supportive of sleep hygiene. So, food becomes a low to no risk, sustainable intervention. Nutrition is highly nuanced and requires an individualized strategy.