Human Growth Hormone and Sleep

Human growth hormone (HGH or just GH) is a protein, and it is also known as somatropin. It is produced by the pituitary gland that is located at the base of our brain. The secretion of HGH isn’t continuous, but it is rather released in a pulsating matter. It is crucial for children as it promotes growth and development, but it has a lot of positive effects on adults as well, as it boosts their metabolism and physical performance, and even helps live longer.

Written by:

Dusan

Last Updated: Thu, October 3, 2019

Hormones are chemical messengers of the body, and they are part of the endocrine system. They are produced by glands, and then they go into the bloodstream and travel to different tissues and organs, where they have multiple functions. They are essential for the regulation of heart rate, metabolism, appetite, mood, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, development and many more tasks in the human body.

Human growth hormone (HGH or just GH) is a protein, and it is also known as somatropin. It is produced by the pituitary gland that is located at the base of our brain. The secretion of HGH isn’t continuous, but it is rather released in a pulsating matter. It is crucial for children as it promotes growth and development, but it has a lot of positive effects on adults as well, as it boosts their metabolism and physical performance, and even helps live longer.

HGH production is under the influence of a complex set of hormones produced by the hypothalamus. HGH is mostly secreted during sleep and exercise, and typically, more of it is generated during the night.

Human growth hormone is mostly produced during deep sleep, so it naturally decreases with age due to the lack of deep sleep that old folks are getting. This decline is associated with cardiovascular disease, increased body weight especially body fat, osteoporosis, thinning and loss of hair, wrinkles, reduced libido, decreased energy and other symptoms. Many of these are also found in younger adults who have an HGH deficiency. There are several things you can do to boost your HGH production, but first, let’s see why it is so important.

Benefits of Human Growth Hormone

HGH is essential for kids, as they are growing, so for them to develop normally, they need to have appropriate levels of HGH. As much as it affects growth in children, lack of it hasn’t been found to harm a child’s intelligence.

There are many roles of HGH, and here are some of its benefits:

 

 

 

How Does Sleep Affect the Production of HGH?

Around 75% of the human growth hormone is produced during sleep. In healthy adults, it is typically created during the first period of Stage 3, also known as a deep or slow wave sleep. During this stage, HGH works to repair and restore your body and muscles from the stress they suffered the previous day.

Sleep deprivation means that there is less slow wave sleep, which leads to less HGH production. When a person experiences the lack of sleep, the body will try and make up for it by producing more the next time this person sleeps, which can disrupt circadian rhythms and normal HGH cycle.

We get more Stage 3 sleep during the first part of the night, so people who are working night shifts, or those who tend to stay up late are more at risk of disrupted HGH secretion. In the day after sleep loss occurred, secretion was showed to be decreased and more random.

What Are the Signs of Human Growth Hormone Deficiency?

The signs of HGH deficiency vary with age, and they are different in children and adults. Typical symptoms in children are:

Adults may experience:

Are Human Growth Hormone Supplements Safe?

The production of HGH peaks at a young age, and then steadily declines with years. It is entirely normal, but the lack of HGH can also be due to sleep deprivation. This reduction in HGH levels can lead to weight gain, impaired physical and mental performance, reduced muscle mass, and it can increase chances of heart disease and diabetes.

HGH is available as a prescription medication, and it is in the form of an injection. It is given to children and with HGH deficiency. HGH therapy has been in use since the 1950s. The treatment has been shown to reverse some of the effects by the lack of HGH and to improve sleep. It increased muscle mass in adults, enhanced energy levels and exercise capacity, strengthened the bones and improved mood and cognitive abilities.

Unfortunately, there is a price to pay. Around 30% of patients experienced some sort of side effects. They include enlargement of toes and fingers, fluid retention, joint and muscle pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood sugar, lengthening of the jaw, expansion of some internal organs. Some of the side effects are very serious, and they can lead to a shorter life span. Make sure to consult with your doctor about HGH therapy, and tell them right away if you notice any of the mentioned side effects.

There has been a craze of creams and pills that were supposedly containing human growth hormone. It is not useful if ingested or put on the skin, so this was merely a marketing trick.

HGH and Athletic Performance

HGH got a bad reputation because it was abused by some athletes. It increases muscle mass, enhances performance and cognitive abilities, so it is only logical that it can help athletes achieve better results. While it can definitely help people who are suffering from HGH deficiency, the case with professional athletes is more complicated. It seems that at that level, it doesn’t have the desired effects, especially since they already have normal HGH levels.

HGH supplements are banned from every sport, and they don’t even contribute to better competition results. The people who try to use them put themselves at risk of getting banned from the sport they like, and from public humiliation without any hard proof of enhanced performance.

Tips for Boosting Your Human Growth Hormone Levels

There are natural ways to increase the production of HGH. You can try incorporating some of these into your daily routine for best results:

 

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Dusan is a biologist, a science enthusiast and a huge nature lover. He loves to keep up to date with all the new research and write accurate science-based articles. When he’s not writing or reading, you can find him in the kitchen, trying out new delicious recipes; out in the wild, enjoying the nature or sleeping in his bed.

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