We’re only just now beginning to scratch the surface of how sleep health impacts our cancer risk as a whole, but we do know two startling things already. Insomnia has a startling link to cancers more likely to affect men Since men are more likely to attempt to ‘tough out’ illnesses at home instead of visiting a doctor, serious bacterial infections like strep can lay them low and put them at risk for bigger problems down the road. When you toss in the fact that the production of inflammatory cellular agents - cytokines - ratchets up simultaneously even after just one night of poor sleep, and it’s easy to see how weeks of tossing and turning can mean more head colds, chest coughs, and sick days.
The fact that the production of cells responsible for fighting off bugs - T-cells - decreases when we skimp on sleep is well-documented. This is true for everyone, but important for men to pay attention to. It’s not hard to understand the implications of functioning all day with a brain that thinks it’s intoxicated! Your body’s immune system can weaken One study in particular found that men functioning on less sleep were likelier to misread a woman’s interest in them and in sleeping with them, and likened the sleep deprived brain to one that’s been impaired by alcohol. That’s the part of our brains that’s responsible for risk-taking sensitivity, moral reasoning and inhibition. Men, in particular, have trouble reading social cues and performing cognitive tasks that require higher judgement and thinking when they are sleep deprived, because of the area of the brain that’s affected: the frontal lobe. Even one night of missed sleep can make anyone out of sorts and foggy the next day, but prolonged periods of insomnia are especially bad news, compounding conditions like depression and anxiety. Sleep deprivation also messes with your head. Your emotional health takes a nosedive on no sleep These same metabolic risk factors can also contribute to being at higher risk for diabetes and outright sleep disorders like Sleep Apnea, which can in turn lead to an even steeper drop in testosterone. Besides a marked increase in BMI, the low energy levels that can be a hallmark of low-T can mean a more sedentary lifestyle. Having less of it means having a much harder time maintaining a healthy weight. Testosterone isn’t the only thing that’s affected when we don’t have good sleep, but when it comes to men’s health, it is a pretty big red flag. Hormones, how they work, and how we react to them are all aspects of the endocrine system. The hormone is responsible for much of men’s well-being, which is why sometimes… Men who sleep less often weigh more Lower testosterone levels don’t just mean a tamer sex drive, though. It’s normal for testosterone production in men to begin to decline as they age, but not getting enough sleep has been proven to drive down T-levels in perfectly healthy men as young as 24 after even one week of restricted rest.
It’s tied to everything from body hair to muscle production, energy, and of course - sex drive. Testosterone is, of course, the male sex hormone. Instead, it has to do with the link between testosterone levels and sleep. Less sleep isn’t exactly tied directly to low libido. This is an oversimplification, admittedly. And guys? If you don’t get enough sleep often enough, it can mess with your body and head in some really serious ways. As a whole, we’re all more likely to write sleep off as something that’s nice to have, not something we need. There’s a fair amount of pressure on men to tough out any health concerns they may have, which means that if they do end up on the exam table, they’re likely to play down what’s really going on.Ĭonvincing men to take physical and mental health ‘red flags’ seriously means leaping over a few hurdles thrown up by societal gender perceptions, and that goes double for sleep. Men face specific challenges when it comes to all aspects of health - they’re less likely to see a doctor when they’re sick, thanks to outdated stereotypes, and mental health concerns often take a backseat to work and family obligations. June is all about the guys: with Father’s Day just around the corner, and Men’s Health Week underway, this month is a great time to take a moment and reflect on the lives and health of men.
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