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✔Evidence basedThis article is reviewed by medical professionals for the relevancy and accuracy of the content. Every article is evidence-based and contains references to peer-reviewed studies and academic research.If you are no longer sleeping as deeply as before and even after a long night’s sleep you feel drowsy, the underlying cause might be growth hormone deficiency (GHD)
GHD decreases sleep quality by affecting specific phases of the sleep cycle. People with GHD have lower levels of deep sleep compared to healthy people and they can’t get enough rest even after oversleeping.
Furthermore, the sleep problems related to GHD also cause increased daytime sleepiness and tiredness. Those symptoms are typical for GHD and lead to reduced quality of life in the affected patients.
Your working performance and productivity will be severely decreased if you suffer from excessive sleepiness during the day. Poor sleep quality can have a detrimental effect on your mood and social life as well.
Other possible reasons for poor sleep quality include different endocrinological problems, sleep apnea, neurological diseases, circadian rhythm disorders, medications, and stimulants (caffeine).
How HGH affects sleep and fatigue
Growth hormone (HGH) is secreted in pulses which are bigger and more frequent during the night. In fact, healthy men might experience their only daily episodes of HGH secretion while sleeping.
There is a consistent relationship between slow-wave sleep and spikes in GH secretion. Slow-wave sleep is one of the 4 stages forming the sleep cycle which occurs multiple times per night. It is the 3rd stage and represents the phase of deep sleep. About 70% of the GH pulses during sleep occur simultaneously with the slow-wave phase.
Furthermore, most of the rejuvenating effects of sleep occur during the slow-wave phase. In this period your body accelerates tissue repair, muscle growth, and the production of immune cells.
As you age GH secretion plummets and the length of slow-wave sleep phases decreases in an almost the same way
How to reverse sleep problems due to GHD
Sleep problems caused by GHD can be reversed by HGH replacement therapy. The treatment can help you lower excessive sleepiness and fatigue during the day by shortening sleep onset and improving sleep quality.
A study in people with isolated GHD revealed that HGH therapy decreases total sleep time but substantially improves the quality of sleep. There was an increase in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep as well as the length of the deep sleep phase, although the latter was not statistically significant.
HGH therapy appears to improve deep sleep in people with multiple pituitary deficiencies. A study revealed that 3 months of HGH therapy improved sleep quality, sleep latency, and mood in 16 GHD patients.
Apart from daytime sleepiness and fatigue, sleep problems can also have a negative impact on your metabolism and energy balance.
Discover more about increased body fat
Increased body fat
Growth hormone deficiency can lead to increased fat accumulation around the abdominal area, visceral obesity, and serious metabolic consequences
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