I never really thought too much about my sleeping pattern. I was always so obsessed about my menstruation, ovulation day, short cycle, lack of cervical mucus and so many other aspects in my voyage towards becoming a mom that I completely forgot to check whether I’m providing my body with enough quality sleep.
Did you know for example that sleep-deprivation sets in motion a variety of hormonal imbalances, including the reproductive hormones in women – estrogen and progesterone.
Primarily, the hormone that is directly associated with infertility due to lack of sleep is Leptin, the hormone that is responsible for causing ovulation in women.
If your Leptin production is affected, it directly affects your menstrual cycle, and the balance of aforementioned reproductive hormones, as well as some other hormones which include the Luteinizing Hormone(LH) as well as the Follicle Stimulating Hormone(FSH).
Furthermore, high stress levels lead to the generation of cortisol in the blood stream which causes sleeplessness, which in turn disrupts the normal hormonal cycle and affects your chances of getting pregnant to a substantial extent!
The average woman between 30 to 60 years of age sleeps only for 6 hours and 41 minutes a day, while the requisite amount of sleep is between 7 to 9 hours a day.
Out of the 10 percent population who are infertile (that is those who exhibited an inability to conceive after 6 to 12 months of having unprotected sexual intercourse), more than half of the time the infertility is solely attributed to the woman or to both of them.
Research also shows that women who work in night shifts have to undergo more struggle and for a longer duration of time in their attempts to conceive.
This is not only because sleep affects hormonal flush and toxin elimination, but also because insomnia to that extent can translate into the malfunctioning of the circadian rhythm –the biological sleep-wake clock of the body that maintains the body balance of sleep, rest, activity, and wakefulness.
Once this balance is tipped, it takes some time to restore it to its formal self. If ignored for long, it can great affect fertility levels of women and reduce their chances of conception.
Over-sleeping, however, can be dangerous for the body. It can lead to drastic reduction in the rate of metabolism which can lead to obesity and lack of alertness.
So tune in with your body and get just the amount of sleep you need. You will know you have slept enough when you feel healthy, alert, active and well-rested after a bout of sound sleep!
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