TESTOSTERONE

Sleeping Issues Tied to Low-T

Testosterone has a complex and widespread affect on physiological function. Most people think of Testosterone strictly as a hormone related to sexual function, but Testosterone plays a role in a variety of other systems. One area where Testosterone (or the lack of Testosterone) can have a major impact is sleep.

Have You Been Having Trouble Sleeping?

Many men report that, as they get older, they start having more and more trouble sleeping. Have you caught yourself laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, more often than you'd like to admit? Do you wake up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep? This may actually be a symptom of Testosterone Deficiency.

Testosterone and Sleep Quality

Low-T may not only affect your ability to stay asleep, but the quality of your sleep as well. As we sleep, the human body goes through different phases of sleep, all of which are important.

What Are the Normal Sleep Phases?

There are five stages of sleep, all of which are important to getting the most restful night possible. When we first fall asleep we enter Stage-1, which is characterized by a pattern of falling in and out of light sleep. During this phase, we are most prone to waking, and also to being jolted awake by the feeling of falling. During this phase, the muscles and the eyes are still active, but minimally.

As we fall deeper into rest we enter Stage-2, which is characterized by a combination of suppressed brain activity combined with occasional flourishes of neuronal activity. Stage-3 is comprised primarily of Delta Waves, the slowest rate at which our brains operate under normal circumstances. The brief bursts of activity from Stage-2 slow down, but remain far more active than Delta Wave. During stage three, all muscle and eye movement ceases. Stage-4 is the deepest form of sleep, and consists almost completely of Delta-Wave activity.

The first two phases of sleep are considered light sleep, whereas the latter phases are considered deep sleep. There is fifth stage of sleep, which is incredibly important. It is known as REM Sleep, REM an abbreviation for Rapid-Eye Movement. The first half of the normal sleeping pattern is characterized by a slow progression to deep sleep, while the latter half of the night is a shift back and forth from REM Sleep and an increasingly lighter and shorter reversal of the other four phases. REM Sleep is strongly associated with memory and learning, and is the period in which we dream.

Testosterone and Sleep Phases

Testosterone Production is tied directly to sleep phases. Testosterone Levels during sleep peak around the time that the first phase of REM-Sleep begins, and remain elevated for the rest of the night under normal circumstances. Testosterone Production ramps up as we enter stages three and four of deep sleep.

If poor sleep prevents us from sustaining deep sleep for a sufficient period of time, then Testosterone Levels fall. As men enter their fifties and sixties, sleep issues become more and more common. Recent research suggests that Low Testosterone Levels may account for as many as one in five men's sleep issues. The normal pattern of sleep is the result of a complex interplay of cerebral and physiological sequences, and Testosterone Deficiency impairs the body and mind's systems and aspects from working together in appropriate synchronicity.

Testosterone and Insomnia

Another sleep-related condition which impairs normal Testosterone Secretion is insomnia. Insomnia is a condition where it is incredibly hard to fall asleep, leaving some patients up all night, perhaps falling into occasional periods of light, fitful sleep at best. Insomnia is a spectrum condition, with some patients experiencing minor, occasional bouts, and others struggling with the condition for days, months, years, or even their entire life.

Testosterone Production is very sensitive to periods of inadequate sleep. One study suggests that even a single week of insomnia can impair Testosterone Production by around 15%. Sometimes Insomnia is the result of poor sleeping habits, other times it is the result of underlying physiological or neurological issues. If you are worried about your Testosterone Levels, it's important to take steps to improve your sleeping habits. Some steps that you can take to improve your sleeping habits are to avoid caffeine at night, install blackout curtains, turn the television off in the bedroom, and simply have a more rigorous bedtime. If insomnia isn't impacted by your efforts at improvement, you should see a sleep specialist.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep Apnea is a common condition in which your body doesn't get enough airflow while you sleep. This can result in shallow breathing for some patients, while others stop breathing for brief periods of time throughout the night. The range at which breathing can pause varies due to the severity of the Sleep Apnea and other factors. Breathing can stop for simply moments at a time, or much longer periods of time, even minutes. In severe cases, breathing can stop more than thirty times each hour.

When oxygen supplies drop to a certain level in the blood stream, the body recognizes that its choking and reinitiates breathing with a start, often associated with a choke or a snort. Sleep Apnea severely impairs sleep quality, because it prevents the brain from naturally moving along the normal pattern of sleep phases. As a result, Sleep apnea often causes significant fatigue and exhaustion throughout the day.

Testosterone and Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea's lengthy pauses in breathing lead to repeated awakenings as the body struggles to recover oxygen in order to stabilize its functions. Sleep fragmentation leads to chronic sleep deprivation and excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as other sleep disorders, like insomnia.

While we are sleeping, the brain and body go into a total repair mode. It is while we sleep that our bodies recover from the previous day and get us ready for the next day. Sleep enhances functions from the cell to cell and from system to system, providing us with energy and keeping us healthy.

One of the vitally important aspects of sleep is hormone maintenance. The body releases the highest quantities of many of the most important hormones while we are asleep. Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone are primarily released at night. The body releases the majority of its Testosterone while we are in deep sleep. Sleep Apnea prevents deep sleep, causing Testosterone Levels to plummet. Testosterone Levels drop as the day proceeds to a close, and the body restores Testosterone back up to peak levels as we sleep.

Testosterone Deficiency can also contribute to sleep apnea. Patients with Low-T are more likely to be overweight, and they are also more likely to have diminished muscle mass, both of which can cause your airways to be impaired while you sleep.

Sleep Apnea Treatment to Increase Testosterone Levels

So Sleep Apnea and Testosterone Deficiency combine to create a double-edged sword. Low-Testosterone Levels make Sleep Apnea more common and more problematic, and Sleep Apnea suppresses Testosterone Levels. Getting tested and treated for Sleep Apnea is one way to help support healthy and normalized Testosterone Production. There are breathing machines, breathing masks, and other tools which can create air flow and prevent Sleep Apnea. Some patients may even benefit from surgery.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Better Sleep

As you can tell, Testosterone plays a strong role in your ability to get healthy and restful sleep. Testosterone Deficiency causes so many problems for patients, and not enough men seek a Hormone Specialist that can get them the Prescription Testosterone that they deserve. We are a Licensed and Board Certified Hormone Clinic which operates in all fifty states. If you believe that Testosterone Therapy can help improve your life, we encourage you to contact us by phone or by form to get in touch with one of our professionally trained Hormone Doctors.

We also offer a variety of other HRT Programs that may interest you, including Human Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy, HCG Injections for Weight Loss, Sermorelin Acetate HGH Booster, among others. If you have any questions or comments, we look forward to hearing from you!

Testosterone Trivia

Most Americans think about Testosterone and immediately connect it to either aggression or sexuality. Although these are two really huge aspects of Testosterone, it actually has a lot of different purposes in the human body.

Why is Testosterone linked to both sexuality and aggression?

Although there is no way to fully understand the link between these concepts, we can look back at human and evolutionary history in order to try to discern a fairly complete picture. Testosterone, Sex, and Aggression are likely linked because of the competitive nature of mating. Among the vast majority of animals, males are the suitors, and the female chooses a mate.

There are a lot of ways that male animals use Testosterone in order to try to get a leg up on their competition. This is the reason why male and female animals are usually physically different, rather than simply having different sexual organs. Secondary sex characteristics develop largely as a result of competition between males for the affection of a female.

Across a large segment of animals, especially mammals, this pattern of sexual competition results in displays of strength and dominance. As a result, male mammals tend to have larger muscles than their female counterparts, and display more aggressive behavior.

Although we like to think we've developed beyond this evolutionary process, it still plays a certain role in our lives whether we choose to recognize it or not.

Beyond the link between Testosterone, Aggression, and Sexual Competition, Testosterone plays a number of different roles in the health of both men and women. The rest of the article will feature some more information about Testosterone and Health that you may find very interesting.

For Women, Love Induces Testosterone Production

Women that have just entered a new relationship experience a flux of Testosterone Production. This increase in Testosterone Release is much higher than is experienced by either single women or women that have been in a relationship for an extended period of time. One study suggests that women release the highest levels of Testosterone in the initial three months of dating than any other time.

Interestingly enough, men experience the opposite effect. Men that have just entered a new relationship actually experience a reduction in Testosterone production. In a similar fashion, however, after less than a year, Testosterone Levels return to their normal state.

It makes sense, really. If a woman has made her decision on a man, it's in her best interest to compete for his affection. In the case of a man, after he has won a woman's affection, he no longer has to regularly compete with other men for her interest.

Testosterone Burns Body Fat

One of the most noticeable physical issues related to Testosterone Deficiency is that it causes a man to have trouble losing weight. Clinical research has shown that Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy has a positive effect on muscle-fat ratio, increasing metabolism and helping a man lose weight faster and more effectively.

The majority of studies corroborate the same evidence. Testosterone Treatments lead to a noticeable reduction in adipose fat. This is the most unhealthy form of fat that the body stores, as well as the most difficult to burn. Adipose fat pools around the midsection, especially around the hips, thighs, and stomach.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy should not be considered solely for it's capacity to induce weight-loss, however. There is a limited body of research regarding the long-term use of Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy, and should only be used by men that suffer from clinically diagnosed Low-T, that are experiencing symptoms such as Erectile Dysfunction, loss of bone density, muscle atrophy, or fatigue.

Testosterone is Linked to Financial Success

Making money even has a positive effect upon Testosterone Production. One study performed by researchers in Great Britain showed that financial traders experience significant Testosterone boosts solely on the quality of their financial performance that day. Men that experienced a successful day of trading earned a rush of Testosterone as a direct result.

The inverse was found to be true as well, when men produced naturally high levels of Testosterone in the mornings, they made more money on average than when their Testosterone Levels were lower. This is strong evidence that Testosterone can directly influence success.

Researchers also found a correlation between experience and Testosterone Production among these traders as well. Traders that had been at the job longer displayed a stronger correlation between both success and the rush of Testosterone and Elevated Testosterone Levels being a predictor for daily success.

It makes sense. Testosterone is not only linked to aggression, but assertiveness. In the frantic trading atmosphere, it makes perfect sense that assertiveness breeds success. Also, Trading is one of the most competitive atmospheres outside of athletic competition, and studies have repeatedly shown that asserting dominance over others through winning induces an incredible burst of Testosterone.

This creates a positive feedback loop, where those that are successful maintain higher levels of Testosterone than those that are not successful, leading to further success.

Testosterone Can Shrink your Testicles

Although Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy can lead to a number of highly beneficial effects, it does have the potential to lead to a few physical symptoms, the most noticeable is that the Testicles can shrink in size.

There is no health risk associated with this shrinkage, but it does have a negative effect upon fertility. Luckily, this effect is completely reversible, and after suspending therapy, the Testicles increase in size again, and sperm production increases as well. This does mean that men looking to conceive should not use Testosterone Replacement Therapy, however.

Another side-effect that occurs in some cases is that men can develop gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is a condition in which excess Testosterone is converted into Estrogen, which promotes an increase in breast size. This issue is also reversible, and can be relieved simply by adjusted the cumulative dose of Testosterone.

Although Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy for Testosterone Deficiency is a safe and effective medical treatment, Testosterone Abuse and Overdose can lead to the development of other symptoms. In women, these changes are exceptionally apparent. Testosterone abuse can cause women to start growing hair across their body, develop temporary male-pattern baldness, increase the size of the clitoris, and cause the voice to deepen. All of these effects can be resolved by suspending abuse, except in some cases the changes that occur to the voice are permanent.

Both men and women that Abuse Testosterone are much more likely to experience issues such as increased aggression, mood swings, acne, and red blood cell count.

For men and women using Testosterone Treatments under the guidance and authorization of a qualified medical professional, the risk of side-effects associated with abuse is negligible, and can be treated quickly and effectively in the case that they manifest.

Even Watching Sports Can Boost Testosterone

Testosterone and competition are intricately linked in males. As men prepare for any form of competition, they experience a sustained boost in Testosterone. This boost in Testosterone occurs regardless of the form of competition in question. Preparing for a high-stakes poker game leads to an increase in Endogenous Testosterone Production in the same way as training for the Olympics.

Men are just naturally wired in this way. It makes sense. Because of our complex and advanced nature, assertiveness and dominance can manifest themselves in countless ways. The brain considers mental competition just as important as physical competition, and adjusts hormone release accordingly.

An amazing side-effect of this pattern of Testosterone Production is that you don't even have to necessarily participate in an event in order to get a burst of Testosterone. Studies show that men that watch sports experience changes in Testosterone Levels in relationship to the success of their favorite teams.

In one particular study, researchers analyzed a group of male fans as they watched a World Cup soccer game between Italy and Brazil. Researchers discovered that after Italy lost, their fans experienced a drop in Testosterone Production, while the Brazil Fans were awarded with a boost of Testosterone. These changes in Testosterone for both parties mirror patterns of Testosterone Release associated with dominance and submission in other species.

Obesity and Fat Limit Testosterone Production

Testosterone Production is strongly correlated with body fat percentage. Men that are of a healthy weight produce more Testosterone than men that are obese, even after other factors have been controlled for.

There are two processes associated with this reduction in Testosterone Production. First, Fat cells have an unfortunate capacity to generate Estrogen. They do this by absorbing Testosterone and Testosterone Precursors, converting them into Estrogen and releasing them into the human body. For men that are obese, this can have a powerful impact on healthy Testosterone production, and can even lead to certain symptoms of feminization.

Obesity is also associated with an increase in general inflammation. Although there are many factors related to obesity which contribute to inflammation, the strongest is that obesity encourages the increased production of cortisol, which is produced from DHEA, a necessary precursor to Testosterone. In addition to this, stress causes an increase in fat storage, which further reduces the body's ability to produce and utilize Testosterone effectively.

Your Hands Explain Your Hormones

In both boys and men, the pointer on the right hand is almost always shorter than the ring finger on the same hand. This is not true to nearly the same extent for girls. This isn't a phenomenon that is specific to humans, however. In many animals (including rats) that have five fingers, this same difference between males and females of the species persists.

Researchers have discovered that among all species in which this phenomenon occurs, it clearly shows that the animal was exposed to elevated levels of Testosterone in utero. The more Testosterone that you receive before you are born, the greater that this difference between the lengths of the ring and pointer finger tend to be.

There is even evidence from a British study that male businessmen with the largest difference between the lengths of ring and pointer tended to be more profitable in business and remained in business longer than their counterparts.

Testosterone Can be Difficult to Measure Effectively

Testosterone Levels are dependent upon a number of different factors, and not all of them are static. For example, Testosterone Production peaks in the morning, meaning that some that display clinically low levels of Testosterone at night may have normal levels during the morning. For this reason, most physicians suggest that blood testing occur in the morning rather than the afternoon or evening.

Also, the thresholds for Testosterone Deficiency are not fully standardized, meaning that what qualifies as deficiency for one doctor may not necessarily hold true for another. The closest to a standard that we have in regard to American Testosterone Treatment is that any level below 300 nanograms per deciliter is generally considered low. The range for normal varies widely dependent upon age, health, and other factors. Normal Testosterone Production ranges from 300 ng/dl to 1000 ng/dl.

Because of this large level of variability, it is necessary to both display signs of Testosterone Deficiency while also displaying low or borderline levels of Testosterone Production. Many physicians also suggest that multiple blood samples may be used to maximize the value of the diagnosis.

The Benefits of Testosterone are Not Established for Healthy Men

It is believed that around three quarters of men over the age of sixty five have hormone levels that are perfectly normal. Although Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy can provide amazing and life-changing benefits for men that suffer from Testosterone Deficiency, there has not been sufficient study among healthy patients to recommend the use of Testosterone for men that do not display a physical need.

For men that are experiencing Testosterone Deficiency, Bio-Identical Testosterone can provide numerous benefits, including increased sex drive, sexual ability, and bone mineral density, while also promoting muscle and fat maintenance. It can even improve psychological health, alleviating mild to moderate depression while helping to counteract feeling of stress and anxiety.

Men with Certain Heart Conditions Should Avoid Testosterone Hormone Replacement

Testosterone Treatments are associated with a slightly elevated risk of heart conditions such as stroke and heart attack. This is because Testosterone treatments increase red blood cell counts as a result of therapy.

Testosterone Injections seem to increase RBC Counts more than other forms of therapy. Because of this risk of heart issues, men that are generally in very poor health should avoid Testosterone Replacement unless their doctor recommends it. It appears that the bulk of risk associated with Testosterone effects men that are already at high risk of heart attack or stroke.

Testosterone Replacement Does not Increase the Risk of Prostate Cancer

In the past, medical professionals and researchers hypothesized that Testosterone Replacement could contribute to an increased chance of prostate cancer. The main reason why physicians and scientists believed that Testosterone Therapy could cancer is because Testosterone Replacement often leads to an increase in a chemical known as PSA, or Prostate-Specific Antigen.

This chemical is released only by the prostate, and men with prostate cancer produce more of this chemical than healthy males. The last decade of research has shown that, although Testosterone boosts PSA production, this has no association with any enhanced cancer risk.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy can increase the size of the prostate in older males, however, leading to a condition known as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. The only major symptom of this condition is that it becomes harder to urinate, and there are medical treatments which can alleviate the symptoms of the condition.

There is an ongoing debate among medical professionals in regard to whether prostate cancer should even be treated, because they become very common with age, but develop at an incredibly slow rate. At this point, men with prostate cancer should avoid Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

Sleep Apnea Causes Low-T

Males that experience sleep apnea have a significantly increased likelihood of experiencing Low-T. For men with Testosterone Deficiency and Sleep Apnea, it can be effective to treat both conditions simultaneously in order to promote greater health most effectively.

Although both conditions can be treated at the same time, it is important to realize that Testosterone Treatments can complicate Sleep Apnea if the sleep apnea remains untreated. This is why it is important for men to received a full physical and medical history before initiating Testosterone Replacement Therapy. By ruling out other medical conditions, your doctor can help confirm whether Bio-Identical Testosterone Treatments are the best source of action to improve your health.