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It may not be surprising that hormonal disturbances—for example, during puberty or menopause—can wreak havoc on sleep. But our hormones affect sleep all the time, not just during big changes. What’s more, we’re starting to see that this relationship goes both ways: As much as our hormones affect how we sleep, how we sleep affects our hormones.
A better understanding of this relationship can improve our sleep and overall health. But, like many relationships, it’s complicated.
This article is part of a special series examining basic questions related to sleep. Read more here.
There are two basic processes that regulate sleep. The first, known as Process S, tracks how long we stay awake by accumulating energy The neurotransmitter adenosineIt is a by-product of cellular metabolism. Once enough has accumulated, like sand at the bottom of an hourglass, it becomes difficult to resist the stress that leads to sleep. The second process, called Process C, is driven by our circadian system, that is, the activity rhythms in almost all of our cells correspond to the Earth’s cycle of 24 hours of day and night.
Process C, which is largely regulated by exposure to light, manages this through the release of two key hormones, Melatonin And cortisol. Melatonin, which is secreted by the pineal gland during the hours of darkness, tells the parts of the brain that control sleep that night has arrived, so we sleep at the appropriate time. Cortisol picks up where melatonin stops, rising in the morning and boosting our alertness to get us out of bed.
Hormones change all the time
The production of these hormones…
