Sleep Apnea And Low Testosterone? 9 Tips For Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Recent sleep apnea research, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), has revealed some startling findings about sleep and a man's libido. It turns out that there is a link between low testosterone and sleep apnea. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, men who don't get enough sleep, have fragmented sleep, or have obstructive sleep apnea and also have low T levels (JAMA).

According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million American adults of all ages and both sexes have sleep apnea, including 11.3 percent of men aged 45 to 64, who are also predisposed to chronic low testosterone.

Testosterone is a type of hormone. It is created by your body. Men produce the majority of their testosterone through their testicles, and the majority of that testosterone is released while they sleep. Testosterone promotes bone and muscle mass growth as well as sex drive. It is also in charge of a number of other functions.

Sleep apnea is a long-term condition that frequently results in sleep deprivation. It is the point at which you stop breathing while sleeping. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Generally, you resume normal breathing, sometimes with a choking sound or a loud snort.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder in which a person's breathing is repeatedly interrupted while sleeping. These interruptions occur when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to maintain an open airway, causing a person's efforts to breathe to be hindered.

These pauses are frequently ten seconds or longer in duration, resulting in fragmented sleep and low blood oxygen levels, which can complicate a person's daily life or reduce their effectiveness on the job by causing:

  • Insomnia
  • Snoring
  • Episodes of no breathing
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Excessive drowsiness during the day

These hazardous conditions may, over time, contribute to more serious health issues such as:

  • Hypertension
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Swings in mood
  • Memory issues

The Relationship Between Sleep Apnea and Low Testosterone

There is a link between sleep apnea and low T, according to research. Changes in testosterone levels occur naturally in both men and women while sleeping. These levels rise while you sleep and fall when you wake up. The highest levels of the hormone are found during REM sleep. When you have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, your REM sleep is reduced, which often results in low T levels.

Evidence suggests a strong link between low testosterone and sleep breathing disorders such as sleep apnea. This evidence suggests that low-T levels are common in men with OSA. These men are also more likely to experience complications such as low libido, impotence, and erectile dysfunction.

Women, like men, are at risk of having OSA negatively impact their sexual lives. Several studies have found a link between female sexual dysfunction and sleep apnea. As the sleep apnea worsens, so do sexual function issues such as decreased desire and sensation.

The testosterone (and other hormones) that your body used throughout the day are naturally replenished during sleep. REM sleep is the best time for replenishment.

When your sleep is constantly disrupted by a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, the amount of REM sleep you get at night is reduced, which interferes with the replenishment cycle. As a result, testosterone production may be insufficient, resulting in chronically low levels and some or all of the associated symptoms of hypogonadism (the medical term for Low T).

Researchers from Fujian Medical University divided subjects into four groups based on the severity of their sleep apnea and measured testosterone levels in one study. Men with severe OSA had significantly lower testosterone levels and a higher rate of erectile dysfunction when compared to groups with simple snoring or mild OSA.

A second study found that men with clinically diagnosed low testosterone:

  • Had less REM sleep.
  • Increased number of nighttime awakenings
  • Suffering from a reduction in sleep efficiency
  • Exhibited a greater number of complications and symptoms related to sleep apnea

This study also linked sleep apnea and low testosterone to obesity, implying the possibility of a vicious cycle of poor health, with each of these conditions perpetuating and exacerbating the others, with researchers recommending further research into any cause-and-effect relationships.

The Importance of Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

When you are treated for sleep apnea rather than low testosterone, once your restorative sleep is restored, your testosterone levels rise. Furthermore, if you do not treat your sleep apnea, you increase your risk of:

  • Stroke
  • The heart attack
  • Blood pressure is too high.
  • Reduced attentiveness
  • Productivity has dropped.
  • Even untimely death

A sleep study is a popular method for diagnosing sleep apnea. You may be required to spend the night at the sleep center. This study tracks several functions while you sleep, including:

  • Movement of the eyes
  • The state of sleep
  • The heart rate
  • Muscle contractions
  • Airflow
  • Respiratory exertion
  • Oxygen levels in the blood

A sleep study aids in the diagnosis of sleep apnea and determines the severity of the condition. This will assist your doctor in developing a treatment plan for your sleep apnea. In some cases, you may even begin treatment in the sleep center that same night.

9 Tips for Getting a Good Night's Sleep When You Have Low Testosterone

1.    Sleep on a regular basis. Aim for seven-eight hours of sleep per night. One method is to keep the same bedtime and wake-up time every day, weekdays and weekends.

2.    Avoid taking a nap in the afternoon because it will disrupt your sleep cycle at night.

3.    Maintain a cool atmosphere in your bedroom. When you're ready to unwind, set the temperature in your bedroom to between 60 and 67 degrees.

4.    Remove all distractions before going to bed. Reduce the amount of noise and light in your room so that it is quiet, peaceful, and dim for sleeping.

5.    Limit your consumption of nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol. According to the National Sleep Foundation, nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, and while alcohol may appear sedating at first, it eventually disrupts sleep efficiency.

6.    Avoid using mobile devices for an hour before going to bed. Take a break from your phone, desktop, notebook, and television.

7.    Reduce the time you spend playing video games. The more time you spend playing video games, the worse your sleep will be. Each hour of gaming during the day adds 6.9 minutes to bedtime.

8.    Reduce your weight. Even if you only lose 5% of your starting weight, you will notice an increase in sleep duration and consistency.

9.    Take part in activities. Make an effort to spend some of your active time in a natural green setting. Spending time outside appears to help prevent sleep problems.

Read a comprehensive review of a Natural Testosterone Booster Supplement

Will Treating Sleep Apnea Increase Testosterone?

A good night's sleep, like so many other healthy lifestyle choices, is essential for increasing testosterone. Choosing to treat obstructive sleep apnea is an important step toward improving testosterone levels and overall health.

Using A Natural Testosterone Booster Supplement

A vicious cycle must be broken in order for health to be restored.

Assuming that these three conditions (low testosterone, sleep apnea, and obesity) all contribute to overall poor health and have the potential to cause serious medical consequences, deciding which to treat first could be difficult.

When obesity is a major concern, significant weight loss through lifestyle intervention is frequently assumed to be the best course of action. However, losing enough weight to improve testosterone levels and disrupt the harmful relationship between these conditions often necessitates drastic lifestyle changes that are exhausting to achieve and difficult to maintain.

Consider using a natural testosterone booster supplement to maintain a healthy hormone balance, which increases your testosterone levels naturally and reverses the symptoms of low T. So you can feel better, every day.

Healthy hormone balance, in turn, promotes the production of lean muscle while decreasing the production of adipose tissue (body fat).

As a result, it stands to reason that a natural testosterone booster supplement could attack two links of the chain at the same time, thereby contributing to the relief of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.

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