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It may come as no surprise that hormonal disruptions, such as puberty or menopause, can wreak havoc with sleep. But our hormones affect sleep all the time, not just during big changes. What’s more, we’re beginning to see that this relationship goes both ways: as our hormones affect the way we sleep, the way we sleep affects our hormones.
A better understanding of this relationship can improve our sleep and our overall health. But, like many relationships, it’s complicated.
This article is part of a special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.
There are two basic processes that regulate sleep. The first, known as the S process, keeps track of how long we’ve been awake. neurotransmitter adenosinea by-product of cellular metabolism. Once enough has accumulated, like sand accumulates, it becomes difficult to resist the pressure to remove the wink. The second, called process C, is driven by our circadian system, the activity rhythms of almost all of our cells based on Earth’s 24-hour day-night cycle.
Process C, which is largely regulated by light exposure, is managed by the release of two key hormones. melatonin and cortisol. Produced by the pineal gland during the dark hours, melatonin tells the parts of the brain that control sleep that it is night, so we fall asleep at the appropriate time. Cortisol picks up where melatonin leaves off, peaking in the morning and increasing our alertness to get out of bed.
Hormones are constantly changing
The production of these hormones…
