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Sleep Deprivation Hormones

Meaning

The measurable alterations in the concentration and pulsatility of various endocrine signaling molecules that occur as a direct physiological consequence of insufficient or poor-quality sleep. Clinically significant changes include elevated cortisol, suppressed growth hormone and testosterone, and dysregulation of the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. This hormonal disruption is a key mechanism linking sleep health to metabolic and reproductive well-being.