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Sleep and Hormones

Meaning

Sleep and Hormones describes the critical, bidirectional relationship where the quality and duration of sleep profoundly influence the regulation and secretion of numerous hormones, while hormonal fluctuations simultaneously govern sleep architecture and timing. Adequate, restorative sleep is essential for the pulsatile release of pituitary hormones, the circadian rhythm of cortisol, and the metabolic signaling of leptin and ghrelin. Chronic sleep deprivation acts as a significant physiological stressor, directly disrupting the delicate balance of the entire neuroendocrine system.