young woman lying down in bed holding a pregnancy test

Sleep and Your Fertility

The subject of your sleep is rarely talked about as connected to the success of conceiving a child. If you have decided you’d like to conceive, you are likely looking into ways to be at your healthiest. While vitamins, healthy eating, and quitting bad habits like smoking are all important recommendations, how much sleep you should be getting ought to be on your radar as well.

The part of your brain that regulates our sleep hormone (melatonin) and our wakeful hormone (cortisol) is the same part of the brain that releases reproductive hormones.
In women, the luteinizing hormone (LH) is the reproductive hormone that triggers ovulation and is a part of regulating the menstrual cycle.
The release of this LH hormone is controlled by the same part of the brain that regulates our wake-sleep hormones. Similarly, a man’s reproductive hormones that facilitate the sperm-maturation process are triggered in that same part of the brain that controls our sleep. While it is not fully understood yet, this is good indication that sleep is connected to viable fertility. Studies have also shown that women who get the recommended 7- 8 hours of sleep tend to become pregnant more quickly, particularly evidenced by studies done on women undergoing IVF.

Sleep and Other Obstacles in Conceiving

Biological studies have shown that our libido, or sex drive, is negatively impacted by lack of sleep. Sleep that is not restorative results in low levels of testosterone, the hormone that drives libido in both men and women. When we don’t reach the deepest restorative stages of REM sleep, our body can’t maintain normal testosterone levels.

upset woman sitting on end of bed while man sleeps behind her With all the advancements in medicine, there is more than one way to become pregnant today. But traditionally speaking, sexual intercourse is our most natural means to becoming pregnant. If proper levels of testosterone aren’t circulating through the body, erectile dysfunction and lack of sex drive can occur, preventing the opportunity for pregnancy.
Furthermore, lack of sleep time (less than 7 hours per night), or poor quality sleep (interrupted sleep), wreaks havoc on other things that hurt your chances of conceiving:
  • Your emotional state is affected. When you’re short on sleep, your brain doesn’t process and regulate emotions accurately. It becomes harder for your brain to control negative emotions that lead to depression, anxiety, and aggression. This makes it hard to feel love and affection, and the physical intimacy in your relationship will suffer.
  • Your overall health is compromised. Sleep deprivation is known to increase the risk of developing other medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, all of which can have an impact on fertility and conceiving.
  • Your day-to-day functioning is disrupted. Lack of sleep interferes with performance and motivation. This makes it difficult to perform work duties, follow through on household responsibilities, or keep an exercise regiment. These failures lead to stress and puts strain on your relationship which diminishes intimacy and opportunities for pregnancy.
woman lying on kitchen table in front of laptop surrounded by cups of coffee
  • Your testosterone isn’t getting restored. The body's natural production of testosterone is important for both men and women to maintain health. This hormone helps to create new red blood cells, keep healthy bones, and maintain muscle mass. So, regardless of whether you are trying to get pregnant, when your poor sleep isn’t restoring your testosterone, your health suffers.

How to Ensure the Best Sleep

When you’re thinking of starting a family, you want everything to be just right. Whether it’s finding the right doctor, making financial preparations, or plans for the nursery, you will be putting very careful thought into it. Evaluating your mattress needs is an important part of your planning.

Finding ways to ensure you’re getting the quality sleep you need may involve looking at your lifestyle or understanding your unique body-clock. But, finding the right mattress is the first place to start.
Without the foundation of a good mattress, all of your other efforts will be weakened by poor sleep quality caused by a bad mattress, and your careful family planning will be compromised.
happy man holding woman while laying in bedAt Mattress World Northwest, https://www.mattressworldnorthwest.com, we can help you get access to some of the most cutting-edge technology in mattresses today. It’s important to understand that a well-fitted mattress is like a well-fitted suit -- it needs to be custom made for you-- AND TRIED ON for best results. The best way to find that perfect fit is to not only try out various mattresses in person, but to also receive knowledgeable advice and assistance from our in-house sleep specialists As you plan for the arrival of a new family member(s), you will have new things to think about that maybe weren’t important before, or that you never even thought about. We can help you with that! For example, if you’re planning to get pregnant, your body will be ever-changing over a 9 month period. You will want to check out our Original Smart Bed, “the bed that changes with you”! Come and see us today at one of our many convenient locations!
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