If you’re not sleeping, it might be hormones – and Kyla’s Hormone Panel Can Help

Losing sleep over losing sleep? You’re not alone. 

Studies suggest that last month one out of five American adults had trouble staying asleep most nights. Many more racked up a sleepless night or two every week. It can be a vicious cycle. Awakening after a restless night, you likely feel irritated, anxious, and even hungry. Sleepwalking through the day, you worry about the night to come. Then you spend another evening tossing and turning. 

Sleeping habits and health are intricately linked. Consistently poor sleep has been linked to heart and kidney disease along with depression. You might not realize that sleep and hormones are connected but if you’re often tired, it could be a hormonal imbalance. The good news is discovering your hormone levels is easy. By selecting one of Kyla’s Hormone Panels you’ll quickly discover whether or not your cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen are at optimal levels. You’ll also learn if you have a vitamin deficiency, are at risk for heart disease, and so much more. Learning your levels is the first step toward discovering how to take control of your sleep and hormones –– while improving your overall health.

Those Sleepless NIghts Might Be Increasing Your Waistline

Improving sleep can help you lose weight. How? Well, there are two very important hormones that affect your appetite. They are extremely sensitive to sleep disruption. The hormone leptin lets you know when you’ve had enough to eat, while ghrelin triggers your appetite. When you’re tired, your body reduces its leptin production while pouring on the ghrelin. If you find yourself regularly snacking after a sleepless night, this could be the reason. It’s also why people who don’t get enough sleep are often heavier than those who do.  Along with obesity, not getting enough sleep affects your glucose tolerance –– which is why people with chronic sleep problems often get diabetes. 

Anxiety and sleep deprivation are also connected.

You can’t talk about sleep and hormones without talking about cortisol. Hormones like cortisol, ghrelin, and leptin are messengers. They tell your body how to respond in different situations. Produced in your adrenal glands, cortisol is a steroid hormone. If you’re worried about sleep and stress, then you should be looking at your cortisol levels. 

That’s because cortisol is a vital component of our body’s internal regulation. It’s more than just the fight or flight hormone, delivering a racing heartbeat whenever you are startled. In normal amounts, it’s beneficial. It helps you wake up from a good night’s sleep –– even before hot java’s jolting brace. In scary situations, it can help you pour on the speed. It also controls your metabolism, blood pressure, and blood sugar. 

What you may not know, is that production of this powerful hormone actually increases as we age. Too much cortisol has been linked to everything from heart disease to depression to actual cognitive impairment. That means one of the concerns stemming from excessive anxiety and sleep deprivation is that you could experience memory loss and even dementia. That’s why it’s so important to know your hormone levels –– including cortisol. So, take charge of your hormones by ordering an at-home health test from Kyla!

Why You Can’t Separate Quality Sleep and Hormones

Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by cortisol. Most people experience their highest levels of cortisol just before awakening. Cortisol production is lowest around midnight –– most people’s first hour or so of slumber. If you’re seeking a connection between stress and the body, cortisol production is a good place to start. Elevated cortisol levels due to chronic stress can definitely disrupt your sleep-wake cycle. Of course you don’t want low levels of cortisol either. When you wake up refreshed and well rested, cortisol deserves a good deal of credit. 

Stress isn’t the only reason for elevated cortisol levels. Diets high in fat, animal proteins, salt, and sugar have also been linked to elevated cortisol levels. The blue light emitted by electronic devices like iPads and smartphones can also spike your cortisol. That’s just one reason checking your phone or reading your tablet right before going to bed is such a bad idea. Same with watching TV. If you’re concerned about poor sleeping habits and health, you should know that for many folks, reading a printed book at least 30 minutes before bedtime is the perfect recipe for sound slumber. Give it a try!

Consistently elevated cortisol can be a serious warning sign. Although it might be related to sleep and stress, it could also indicate Cushing Syndrome. This condition can cause weight gain, fatigue, and skin problems. On the other side of the pole, Addison’s disease happens when your adrenal glands produce too little cortisol. 

Learning if you might be at risk for one of these chronic health problems (and many more) is why getting an at-home health test is so vital. Rather than dealing with driving and a crowded doctor’s office, after a simple needle prick at home you can send your sample to Kyla Clinics. For just $99, you’ll not only learn about your cortisol levels but concrete steps you can take to resolve any imbalances. In fact, you’ll be able to access Kyla’s AI-driven risk engine which not only outlines any obstacles standing in the way of living a long and healthy life, but the best way to overcome them.

Cortisol isn’t the only hormonal sleep disrupter. The hormone responsible for a woman’s menstruation cycle, estrogen, has been linked to sleep disturbances for many women –– whether from painful periods or menopausal “hot flashes.” Testosterone, which is partly responsible for healthy bones and healthy reproductive functioning in both genders, has also been linked to sleep disruption. It’s important to note that healthy men and women have both hormones in their bloodstream. That’s why learning if you have a hormonal imbalance is so important. 

If you’re looking to improve sleep, getting your hormone levels checked is a vital step. With a simple $99 test from Kyla, you can learn not only what might be disrupting your sleep but what you need to do to live the healthiest, happiest life possible. 

Sources: 

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2. “What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency?” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 24, 2022. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation
3. Bankston, John. “How Sleep Deprivation Affects The Body,” Doctorpedia. January 11, 2023. https://www.doctorpedia.com/channels/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-the-body/
4. “The Role of Cortisol in the Body,” Health Direct (Australia). September 2022. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/the-role-of-cortisol-in-the-body#:~:text=Cortisol is a hormone produced,cortisol is essential for health.
5. Lavretsky, Helen, and Paul A Newhouse. “Stress, inflammation, and aging.” The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Volume 20,9 (2012). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3428505/
6. Stanborough, Rebecca Joy, MFA. “How Does Cortisol Affect Your Sleep?” Healthline. July 10, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/health/cortisol-and-sleep#bottom-line
7. Kahn, April. “Cushing Syndrome: Everything You Need to Know,” Healthline. February 21, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/health/cushings-syndrome
8. Zisapel, Nava. “New Perspectives on the Role of Melatonin in Human Sleep, Circadian Rhythms and Their Regulation.” British Journal of Pharmacology, John Wiley and Sons Inc., Aug. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6057895/
9. Chen, Jennifer. “Women, Are Your Hormones Keeping You up at Night?” Yale Medicine, Yale Medicine, 10 July 2017, www.yalemedicine.org/news/women-are-your-hormones-keeping-you-up-at-night