#healthy lifestyle #hormones #women health+2

How Do Hormones Work When We Sleep?

28 ottobre 2025

2 min di lettura

To many people, getting enough sleep seems unachievable. However, it’s important to understand why sleep is such an important part of the body's hormonal system. Let’s take a look at why.

Punti chiave

To many people, getting enough sleep seems unachievable.
How much sleep does it take for all the systems to work properly?
Is it important to sleep during certain hours?

Per chi è

Chi esplora Hormones and thyroid attraverso healthy lifestyle, hormones.

Perché è importante

Questo articolo ti aiuta a orientarti rapidamente, per poi passare a una raccolta o serie se vuoi continuare.

Autore dell'articolo

Dr. Helga

General practitioner

When it gets dark outside, melatonin begins to be produced: the hormone that makes us feel sleepy. Our natural biological clock tells us that it is soon time to sleep, so activities should wind down. When a person falls asleep, hormones start to produce.

Sleep produces STH growth Hormone, which helps children grow, and in adults is responsible for metabolism, affects mental health, and counteracts premature aging of the body. Low STH leads to obesity, and its levels are directly related to the levels of the ghrelin and leptin hormones. STH levels affect appetite, and a person with an imbalance eats more than he or she normally does.

Levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, normally diminish before bedtime and increase by the morning hours, awakening the body and stimulating activity. An increase in cortisol causes the pancreas to produce insulin to make the body want food in the morning. A disruption in this system leads to sleep disturbances (if cortisol hasn't gone down) and eating disorders (you've probably heard of people who can't eat breakfast but overeat at night).

Sleep is also important for the immune system: lack of sleep reduces the production of the hormone prolactin, which directly affects the immune system and nervous system.

How much sleep does it take for all the systems to work properly?

Newborns up to 2 months: 11–18 hours
Infants up to 1-year-old: 10–14 hours
Children up to 5 years old: 12–14 hours
Children up to 12 years old: 10–12 hours
Adolescents from 12-18 years: 8–10 hours
For adults (adjusted for individual differences, daily workload, physical activity): 7–9 hours

Is it important to sleep during certain hours?

The optimal time for adults to sleep is from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am so that you go to bed when it is dark and wake when it is beginning to get light out, but recent studies show that some adults may do better going to bed and waking up earlier or doing so later. It is worth noting that daytime sleep should not be substituted for nighttime sleep: if you nap for one hour, you should not cut your nighttime sleep by one hour. Having a regular sleep schedule is important for the proper functioning of hormones throughout both night and day.

Continua a leggere

Hormones and thyroid#hormones

Can You Make Happiness Hormones Work for You?

Your mood is determined by hormones that influence happiness. Can we activate them even in the absence of actual reasons to be happy?

Dr. Ely28 ott 2025

Hormones and thyroid#hormones

Estrogen in Women: Lack and Excess

Estrogen hormone is responsible for many processes in a woman's body. What will it affect, and what happens when is it too high, or if its levels drop?

Dr. Ely28 ott 2025

Healthy lifestyle#health myths

Why Do Some People React to the Weather While Others Do Not?

Headaches, blood pressure drops, aching joints — for some people this is a sure sign of a change in the weather. Others think it's simply a coincidence. What is true?

Dr. Helga28 ott 2025

Healthy lifestyle#eyes

8 Tips for Picking and Wearing Sunglasses

While people spend a lot of time choosing the eyeglasses they wear for work, reading, or driving a car, they mostly view sunglasses as an accessory. However, if you don't bear in mind certain important guidelines about sunglasses, you can easily ruin your eyes.

Dr. Lara28 ott 2025

Installa Ornament non solo per leggere questi articoli, ma anche per monitorare la tua salute, archiviare i risultati degli esami e accedere ad altre funzioni utili

Installa Ornament