Sleep Hygiene: Cleaning Up Our Act in the Bedroom

Rest and recovery are essential for daily living, but how often are we allowing ourselves to do those things adequately? Most of us face numerous deadlines and some of us have work hours that do not coincide with the rising and setting of the sun. It is also not uncommon for some to stay up all night doing mindless activities such as watching our favorite shows or scrolling in bed. When it comes to fertility, these changes in our innate cycles can disrupt the regular rhythms that happen inside the body and can be contributory to disturbing the natural processes of repairing, building, and strengthening.  

“…being tired all the time also decreases the uterus’ capacity to respond properly to an embryo, causing implantation issues, miscarriages, and poor outcomes for in-vitro fertilization (IVF).”

The rise and fall of hormones follow patterns that allow for peak energetic function to happen in the day and for peak recovery phases to happen at night. When you are trying to conceive, a disruption in these patterns can interfere with how reproductive hormones such as luteinizing hormone (which triggers ovulation), follicle stimulating hormone (which is needed in ovarian function), estrogen (which enhances growth and thickening of endometrial lining), and progesterone (commonly known as the “pregnancy hormone”), are produced and transported to the cells where they exert their function. In addition to this, being tired all the time also decreases the uterus’ capacity to respond properly to an embryo, causing implantation issues, miscarriages, and poor outcomes for in-vitro fertilization (IVF).  

Lack of sleep has also been found to exert its damages on ovarian reserves and follicle development via the pathway that oversees the effects of stress. We can’t leave out the stress that happens when sleep does not leave us feeling refreshed. Dysregulated sleep “has been shown to reduce innervation to reproductive organs and this effect may influence ovary and follicle size.¹” This only means that there is miscommunication happening internally because everything is tired.  

“We keep ourselves clean as part of having good hygiene. The same must go for sleep if we want to wake up feeling refreshed the next day.” 

Being more mindful of what you do before bed matters and, while it may seem simple, it does wonders for female and male fertility. Practicing good sleep hygiene is key. We keep ourselves clean as part of having good hygiene. The same must go for sleep if we want to wake up feeling refreshed the next day. Sleep hygiene involves reviewing what you do before bed and prioritizing activities that promote relaxation. We often take sleep for granted but it is a powerful tool to enhance your chances of getting pregnant. 

When the next opportunity for sleep arises, observe the habits and patterns that maybe causing more fatigue than necessary. Because when you start to train your body to sleep at the proper times and encourage it to switch to the relaxation phase more often, you become less inflamed and less susceptible to illnesses, there is better blood flow and oxygenation to organs allowing for optimal reproduction function to occur, and increased levels of cellular energy is produced to allow for fertilization and implantation to happen successfully. Going to bed early and focusing only on sleeping may be an adjustment at first, but giving your body the rest it needs will make it a more conducive environment to welcome a baby.