Every article is rigorously reviewed by medical experts to ensure accuracy. "But some testosterone replacement may also be warranted, depending on the patient," Wise says. While some patients might see immediate improvements after their first TRT injection, it may take up to four weeks to experience better sleep, Gittens says. He’s the medical director at Rockwell Centers for Sexual Medicine & Wellness. Paul Gittens, M.D., is a urologist specializing in sexual medicine and male infertility. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep every night to support hormonal balance. As men age, testosterone levels decline, leading to fatigue, weight gain, and lower performance. A 2019 study involving 2,295 teenage boys and men found that impaired sleep could be linked to lower levels of testosterone. Sleep quality may also have major effects on your testosterone levels. In a 2021 study, zinc supplementation increased testosterone levels and improved sexual function in postmenopausal women with low blood levels of zinc. Plasma testosterone levels vary in a circadian manner, higher on waking and decreasing to a low point at the end of the day. From approximately middle-aged onwards, less time is spent in the deeper phases of sleep and there is more stage I sleep and more awakenings. Low testosterone may affect overall sleep quality which is improved by replacement doses. Experimental data suggest that testosterone may modulate individual vulnerability to subjective symptoms of sleep restriction. The data on the effect of sleep quality on testosterone may depend on whether testosterone is given as replacement, in supratherapeutic doses, or in the context abuse. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) appears to have no direct effect on testosterone, after adjusting for age and obesity. The evidence, to support a direct effect of sleep restriction or circadian rhythm disruption on testosterone independent of an effect on sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), or the presence of comorbid conditions, is equivocal and on balance seems tenuous. Testosterone is an important hormone in the human body. Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy, reliability and up-to-date clinical standards. It affects male fetuses as they develop in the uterus, as well as teenage sexual development during puberty. Because testosterone influences muscle recovery and metabolic health, insufficient levels can make the body feel "unrecovered" even after rest. With a few small changes, you can improve your sleep quality and your testosterone levels. However, normal sleep throughout the night is also needed to maintain testosterone production.9 From 30 onward, levels can drop up to 2% a year.5 Several other factors can lead to low testosterone, including thyroid issues, cancer treatment, long-term health conditions, and poor sleep. There were no relationships of ODI to the testosterone levels,35 but positive correlations were observed between changes in serum testosterone and hyperoxic ventilatory recruitment threshold and between changes in hyperoxic ventilatory recruitment threshold and time spent with oxygen saturations during sleep at 6–7 weeks but not at 18 weeks.36 There is, however, a relationship between disturbed sleep and wakefulness, increased need for sleep and recovery, reduced morning cortisol, lower testosterone levels, and dissatisfaction with the shift system. Various disorders of sleep including abnormalities of sleep quality, duration, circadian rhythm disruption, and sleep-disordered breathing may result in a reduction in testosterone levels. Testosterone is an essential part of reproductive health. AIS prevents male genitals from developing as they should and almost always results in infertility (it’s difficult or impossible to father children) during adulthood. Testosterone deficiency during fetal development doesn’t allow male characteristics to develop normally. Late-onset hypogonadism affects about 2% of men over the age of 40. Very low levels of testosterone may cause hot flashes with excess sweating. A carefully formulated TRT treatment plan should avoid many of these undesirable side effects. On average, it takes about 3 weeks to see an improvement in sexual desire (libido), energy, and mood. It also can affect people with sickle-cell disease, thalassemia, or alcoholism. People undergoing glucocorticoid therapy can develop the condition.
