Why getting enough sleep and having a routine is essential for healthy hormone balance and synthesis.
You probably know that sleep is important, but do you ever consider how important sleep is for your overall health and wellbeing?
When we sleep, the body enters parasympathetic mode, which enables cell growth and repair. This is when healing, repair, mental sorting, and detoxification occurs. We get tired due to the hormone melatonin, which is the main hormone responsible for our circadian rhythms, or sleep-wake cycle. It is secreted by the pineal gland within the hypothalamus of the brain. If we sleep well (i.e. a routine of 6 – 9 hours of unbroken sleep at roughly the same time every night), then we should naturally start to feel tired as it approached bedtime and naturally wake up after 6 – 9 hours. Approximately thirty minutes after waking up, cortisol should rise so that you feel alert and ready to get the day started. Hormones are sensitive to our circadian rhythm. “When ignored, poor sleep will make you fall down a hormonal flight of stairs,” Gottfried says
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