The Hormonal Maze of Insomnia

The Hormonal Maze of Insomnia

Alert:sleepless nights affect hormones and thus quality of life. Learn strategies to overcome insomnia.

“Every night is a battle. The hours lengthen, the mind doesn’t let up, and sleep becomes an unattainable mirage.” This is the testimony of Ana, a 35-year-old woman who has been dealing with insomnia for years. Her story, unfortunately, is repeated in many women, and science is revealing how this sleep disorder goes beyond a simple lack of rest, immersing itself in a complex hormonal network that especially impacts women’s health.

Insomnia, characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep, robs the sufferer of vitality, but also throws crucial hormones out of balance. A 2022 study by the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) showed that sleep deprivation disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, affecting ovulation and the regularity of the menstrual cycle.

In addition, an article published in 2021 by Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, concludes that leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite decreases with lack of sleep, which can lead to cravings and weight gain. For its part a paper published in 2018 by Sleep Medicine Reviews reports that ghrelin, the hunger hormone, is triggered, with insomnia intensifying the sensation of appetite and making it difficult to control weight.