Sleep and Fertility: Why it Matters
The importance of getting good sleep is one thing we can all agree on, and yet, it’s also something that the majority of people routinely do not get enough of or give priority to.
Watching one more episode of a show, or scrolling on the phone are two habits that I routinely see getting in the way of people putting themselves to bed!
For those trying to fall pregnant, insufficient sleep has a direct effect on fertility.
One study found that people with less than 6 hours of sleep had a 15% reduction in pregnancy rates during IVF, compared to a group that was sleeping 7-8 hours per night.
Interestingly, too much sleep (9-11 hours) also lowered pregnancy rates. The theory being that both too little or too much sleep can negatively impact circadian rhythms. (However, I rarely see people who suffer from getting too much sleep in my practice )
The body is set up to function in various cycles. Sleep cycles, hormonal cycles, digestive cycles, menstrual cycles, etc., so it stands to reason that disrupting one of these will also affect the others. There have been studies investigating the various reproductive hormones and finding some are greatly impacted by disrupted or insufficient sleep.
Another factor is that chronic sleep deprivation keeps the body in a stressful state and can lead to elevated cortisol levels. When the body is in this state (fight or flight) then “non-essential” function (such as reproduction) gets suppressed.
So, what to do about it?
Obviously, you have to make the decision that sleep is the ultimate “me time” and prioritize it. Good sleep habits can coax your body back into a healthy rhythm, where sleep comes more easily. Try a few of these:
Arrange consistent bedtimes and waking times
Get exposure to natural daylight upon waking in the morning
Get some moderate exercise during the morning or day
No Screens for an hour before bed! Instead of TV or the phone, try listening to a podcast, audio book, music, or reading a few pages from your favorite book.
Keep the bedroom cool and dark. Preferably without electronics.
Sources:
Fertility and Sterility: ABSTRACT ONLY| VOLUME 100, ISSUE 3, SUPPLEMENT , S466, SEPTEMBER 01, 2013
NCBI Abstract https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7101004/ Published online 2020 Mar 23