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It may not be surprising, for example, that hormonal fluctuations such as during puberty and menopause can negatively impact sleep. But our hormones affect our sleep all the time, not just during major changes. What’s more, we’re beginning to see that this relationship goes both ways. Just as your hormones affect how you sleep, the way you sleep also affects your hormones.
A deeper understanding of this relationship could improve both our sleep and overall health. But like many relationships, it’s complicated.
This article is part of a special series exploring important questions about sleep. Click here for details.
There are two basic processes that regulate sleep. The first, known as Process S, tracks our waking hours through the accumulation of the neurotransmitter adenosine, a byproduct of cellular metabolism. Like sand piling up at the bottom of an hourglass, when enough builds up, it becomes difficult to resist the pressure to nod off. The second process is called process C and is driven by our circadian system. This is done by aligning the rhythm of almost every cell’s activity to Earth’s 24-hour cycle of day and night.
Process C is primarily controlled by exposure to light, which is managed by the release of two important hormones: melatonin and cortisol. Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland during dark hours, signals the part of the brain that controls sleep that it’s night, so we fall asleep at the appropriate time. Cortisol picks up where melatonin left off and spikes in the morning, making us more alert and getting us out of bed.
Hormones change all the time
The production of these hormones…
