What Happens to Testosterone When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep? We Have Some New Answers.

LIKE MOST AMERICANS, you probably don’t get enough sleep. Constant snoozing of the alarm and feeling groggy for the rest of the day are some pretty compelling indicators. Another more subtle sign is a drop in T levels.

Testosterone and sleep are closely linked because production of the hormone is closely tied to a roughly 24-hour biological clock called the circadian rhythm. (Your circadian rhythm also regulates your body’s temperature throughout the day and when you feel hungry). In the case of testosterone, T levels follow a rhythm that generally peaks in the morning and falls around 8 PM.

“When we tell people to get their testosterone levels drawn, we want to get the highest levels—usually before 10 AM,” says Justin Dubin, MD, urologist and director of Men’s Sexual Health at Baptist Health.

Testosterone is involved in many functions in the body beyond libido and erectile functioning. It also impacts your muscle mass and red blood cell production, says urologist John Lynam, DO. So when you don’t get a good night’s sleep, your testosterone production gets thrown off, potentially leading to other health problems if poor sleep becomes a habit. Read on to learn more.

How Lack of Sleep Affects Testosterone

TESTOSTERONE AND SLEEP have a cyclical relationship. Low testosterone can affect sleep quality, resulting in insomnia-like symptoms. Poor sleep can tank testosterone levels. A lack of sleep can also worsen other health conditions that might affect testosterone.

“Sleep disorders including a decrease in sleep quality, inadequate sleep duration, disruption of circadian rhythm, and sleep breathing disorders such as sleep apnea can all negatively affect the testosterone production cycle and result in decreased testosterone production, and consequently decreased blood testosterone levels,” explains Dr. Lynam.

One sleep stage matters most for testosterone production

Testosterone production is important in all stages of sleep, but the REM (rapid eye movement) stage matters the most. This deep sleep stage is responsible for dreaming. It is also a critical time when the majority of testosterone production occurs.

“Research suggests that, in healthy men, testosterone levels rise with the onset of sleep and reach a peak at the first REM sleep episode,” explains Darshan Patel, MD, associate professor of urology at the University of California San Diego’s Men’s Health Center. For people with traditional sleep patterns, peak testosterone levels occur in the later stages of sleep, typically between 3 AM and 8 AM, Dr. Patel adds.

Testosterone levels naturally decline 1 to 2 percent a year after 30. Guys over 40 are more likely to experience testosterone issues related to sleep, possibly from repeatedly waking up throughout the night.

“Older men already experience lighter, more fragmented sleep with less deep and REM sleep, which are the very stages tied to testosterone release,” explains sleep medicine physician and pulmonologist Saema Tahir, MD. “Testosterone naturally declines with age too, so there may be less physiological reserve to draw on when sleep is cut short.”

The Minimum Number of Hours of Sleep You Need for T

HISTORICALLY, SLEEP DOCTORS believed you needed at least three hours of good sleep each night to keep T levels stable. However, a majority of testosterone production happens in the final stage of sleep. The minimum amount of sleep you need is more around seven hours.

“Testosterone release depends on completing full sleep cycles that unfold over several hours, and studies show meaningful declines even at 5 hours a night, so the consistent recommendation today is 7 to 9 hours, not a minimum of 3,” says Dr. Tahir.

Partial vs. total sleep deprivation’s effect on T levels

Losing an hour of your usual sleep schedule won’t have much of an effect on testosterone levels. Even one odd night when you get less than seven hours of rest would only cause a small, temporary dip that your body can quickly recover from the next night. Dr. Tahir says the issue becomes when you’re losing 3 to 4 hours every night.

“Research shows that restricting sleep to around five hours a night causes testosterone to drop 10 to 15 percent since the hormone is released mainly during REM sleep cycles that get cut short as sleep loss increases,” she says, comparing the decline to what’s seen after a decade or more of aging. “Losing several hours or an entire night disrupts those cycles enough to meaningfully suppress testosterone release.”

How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

The good news is that testosterone levels do normalize once regular sleep resumes. Although for someone who is chronically restricting sleep, Dr. Tahir says it may take days to weeks of recovery sleep to fully restore baseline levels.

For tips on how to fall asleep fast, check out our expert-backed guide. Here’s the TL;DR version:

• Stick to a schedule: Going to bed and waking up at the same times every day helps you maintain a healthy sleep cycle.
• Avoid eating too much right before bed: When you eat a big, heavy meal right before bed, you might struggle to get comfortable, and it could disrupt your sleep.
• Stay away from caffeine or alcohol: Both have stimulating effects, which can keep you up and disrupt your sleep.
• Create a calming space: Limit screen time, set your ideal bedroom temperature, wear earplugs, or use room-darkening curtains to ensure your sleep space is limiting noise and light.
• Skip naps: Taking long naps during the day might interfere with your regular sleep schedule and make it hard for you to fall asleep at night.
• Exercise regularly: This is crucial for a healthy lifestyle, which will help your sleep habits. Just avoid being too active too late, which might keep you up.
• Reduce stress: Find stress-relieving activities, such as meditation, that can help you relax before bedtime.