The Role Sleep Plays in Both Weight Management and Erectile Dysfunction
RiizeUp has quickly become a leader in online products to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and weight loss through state-of-the-art telemedicine. The commitment to patient access, security and privacy, as well as our licensed physician network, has allowed continued advancement of a complete wellness standard. When it comes to personal health issues like weight loss, weight management and erectile dysfunction, it’s most effective to take a wholistic approach. That often means considering all possible causal factors for what is creating the condition, including those that may seem only generally related. Such is the case with the “sleep factor”.
One recommendation that comes with nearly every medical diagnosis and treatment advice is to get plenty of sleep. There are some circumstances where too much sleep may be a problem, but overall, you will rarely hear a doctor tell you to “get less sleep”. The fact is, sleep is as foundational to good health as diet and exercise. In the case of issues like weight management and erectile dysfunction, this is especially true. Nearly everyone gets the “diet and exercise” part of contributing to good health, but sleep is often given less of a priority, as busy schedules often make us think that we can “get by” for one night on less sleep. The problem is that it’s easy to get into the habit of thinking and functioning that way, without realizing the stress its placing on your health. That’s especially important if you’re trying to treat and take corrective actions for things like weight loss or ED.
What do we know about sleep?
For a lot of human history, there wasn’t much of a connection made between sleep and health. The focus for many cultures in earlier times was on the dream aspects of sleep and the meaning of dreams. It wasn’t until the mid 1800’s and early 1900’s that sleep began to be studied scientifically in relation to physiology and brain activity, including the effects of sleep deprivation. Since then, a great has been learned and proven about sleep in terms of its importance and its effects on health.
What does sleep do?
The short, simplistic answer is that it makes you not tired anymore. You go to sleep because you’re tired, and when you wake up, you’re ready to go again. The more scientific answer is that sleep restores the body and the brain, and it is necessary for both to get the right amount of restoration time. Sleep helps heal and repair heart and blood vessels, supports muscle and cell repair, and even helps remove toxins from the brain. We’ll get more in depth on the function of sleep and its physical and mental effects in the future, but for now, just know that sleep is every bit as necessary and food and water.
How much sleep do you need?
Every individual is different, but based on an overwhelming amount of study data and observation, there are some generally accepted guidelines. In order to maintain healthy brain and physiological function, most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep, allowing for the exceptions that some people may get by on 6 hours, and others may need 10. Not getting the right amount of sleep can have negative effects on concentration, decision making, remembering and impulse control. It can also adversely affect the cardiovascular system.
Types of sleep problems or disorders
First, there is just plain lack of sleep. This is where, by either choice or necessity, you don’t get the sleep that is right for you – the sleep you need to feel and function optimally. There is also insomnia, which is being unable to sleep, even though you want to and are trying to. And finally, there is sleep apnea, which is a physiological condition. Sleep apnea is distinguished by sleep being interrupted because breathing stopped. There is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) and can be a serious medical condition. More about these in future posts.
Whether it’s lack of sleep, insomnia, or sleep apnea, the result is sleep deprivation. Your body and brain are not getting the sleep that they need. Your “sleep balance” is basically in the red.
How does sleep affect weight?
In addition to forming new pathways and removing toxins, your brain also balances hormone levels when you sleep. Two of those hormones are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin makes you feel hungry, whereas leptin makes you feel full. Not getting enough sleep, or sleep deprivation, increases the level of ghrelin and decreases the level of leptin. The effect is an increased craving for calorie dense foods, and can lead to overeating, obesity and a decrease in fat-loss when dieting. This in turn, increase sleep problems and the risk for sleep disorders, leading to more of the same, and the cycle continues.
That’s why, with any weight loss treatment program, such as with Riize’s oral strip or injectable Semaglutide (same active ingredient as Ozempic® and Rybelsus®), you need to also follow a healthy regimen of good diet, increased physical activity and the proper amount of sleep. You can get a jump start on weight loss, and began to see better results with Riize Semaglutide if you also incorporate those other elements into your lifestyle. But if you don’t include healthy sleep in the mix, your progress will most likely be smaller and slower.
What about sleep and erectile dysfunction (ED)?
Studies have shown that there is a relationship between sleep – both the amount and quality – and testosterone levels. While ED is not always a result of testosterone levels alone, it does play a role in the ability to keep and maintain an erection due to a decrease in libido.
Testosterone levels in blood (plasma testosterone) are based on circadian cycles. Circadian cycles, or rhythms, are biological processes that recur naturally every 24 hours. Sleep cycles are based on circadian rhythms as well and thus, are related to other processes that occur within them. Studies have indicated that testosterone production is clearly related to sleep, specifically the first 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Besides testosterone, lack of sleep also effects overall energy, mood and stress levels, which can all contribute to ED issues. Just as with weight issues, there is an interrelationship between sleep and ED that can become cyclical – lack of sleep contributing to ED, and ED contributing to lack of sleep, etc. While ED can be effectively treated with the medications that Riize Strips offer – Sildenafil, Tadalafil and Oxytocin combined – a comprehensive wellness approach also needs to be pursued, which includes getting adequate sleep.
“Get some sleep”
It’s an old saying; something passed along as both advice and remedy for situations, circumstances, issues and conditions too numerous to list. But, like a lot of sayings, it stuck around for a reason: It’s true. While there can be such a thing as too much sleep, it’s rare. These days, most people don’t get enough sleep, or good enough sleep. Short sleep duration is becoming a global problem in modern society. Whether you’re trying to lose and manage your weight with Riize’s Semaglutide, or treat an erectile dysfunction issue with Riize Strips, you owe it to yourself to put the advantage of sleep in your corner.
SOURCES
1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1029127
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955336/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9621223/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9031614/
6. https://www.webmd.com/diet/sleep-and-weight-loss
7. https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(16)30044-4/fulltext
8. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/04/good-sleep-good-health
9. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-requirements
10. https://www.bjc.org/news/too-much-sleep-here-are-some-surprising-facts-about-oversleeping
11. https://www.sleephealthsolutionsohio.com/blog/history-of-sleep-research/
12. https://fortuneonline.org/articles/effects-of-sleep-deprivation-on-brain-functional-network.html
13. https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/low-libido/how-lack-of-sleep-impacts-sex-life-libido-fertility
