This is an important point that almost always turns out to be a challenge.

I have to admit that this is a point where I’m not the best in the class either!

– Can you guess what it is?

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A little hint: After 24 hours without this, you should not drive!

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Did you guess it? 

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Yes, of course I’m talking about sleep !We already know that too little sleep can be a contributing factor to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease , but for some reason, not many people also connect this piece of the puzzle with fertility.

We can’t ignore the fact that sleep IS super important for your fertility , as it has been shown to have an impact on:

• The body’s ability to fight inflammation
  (…The body always has a certain level of inflammation in the body, but we know that too much inflammation can affect your egg quality!)
• Your hormonal balance
  (…Most of your hormones are produced primarily at night, and an imbalance in hormones affects your cycle length and is of course really important for your ovulation!)
• Your ability to handle stress in everyday life
  (…We know that a high level of stress in everyday life can negatively affect fertility, and in addition, it has a negative impact on the body’s resources and your energy!)
• Increased hunger and reduced ability to feel full
  (…Studies have shown that too little sleep creates an increased risk of choosing unhealthy snacks with fewer nutrients and a high fat and carbohydrate content.
• Your insulin sensitivity
  (…Reduced insulin sensitivity can, among other things, develop into insulin resistance, which in turn can increase inflammation in the body and affect your ability to ovulate.)
• The body’s ability to burn fat stores effectively
  (…We know that a high BMI negatively affects fertility. If you are challenged with an elevated BMI, your night’s sleep can be an important key to the desired weight loss!)

One reason is that it is the same part of the brain that regulates the ‘sleep hormone’ melatonin and the ‘wake-up hormone/stress hormone’ cortisol . Too little sleep triggers the brain to produce more cortisol, which can contribute to a decrease in some of the important fertility hormones, such as prolactin, estrogen, LH, FSH and progesterone.

Are you one of those who feels awake at night and tired in the morning?

That pattern could easily be due to too little quality sleep!

A single night without proper sleep has been shown to reduce the body’s production of cortisol in the morning, which is why you may feel like you have difficulty waking up properly .

In turn, the poor night’s sleep also increases cortisol production in the evening, which can make it even more difficult to get to bed at a proper time.  

It can therefore easily develop into a negative spiral, with too late bedtimes and too little quality sleep.

So the question is, should you just get as much sleep as possible?

Studies show that women who get less than 7 hours of sleep each night have a 15% lower chance of getting pregnant in a given cycle than women who get 8 hours.

Conversely, studies also show that women undergoing IVF treatment who get 7-8 hours of sleep have a 25% greater chance of pregnancy than women who get over 9 hours of sleep.

The right amount of sleep for fertility is therefore right around 8 hours of sleep.

To get 8 hours of quality sleep, we need to control the sleep hormone melatonin and our circadian rhythm.

Melatonin is not just a sleep hormone…

…it is actually also a substance that has a very anti-inflammatory effect in the body. Good melatonin production is therefore one of the most effective shortcuts to helping the body achieve better balance.

To increase melatonin production , you can do the following:

• Go to bed at the same time every night!
  …and preferably no later than 10 p.m.
  A fixed circadian rhythm makes it much easier for the body to fall asleep, and bedtime before midnight has been shown to provide certain benefits for both your immune system and blood pressure.
• Get at least 20 minutes of sunlight in the morning
  …and preferably before 10 a.m.
  This has been shown to strengthen your circadian rhythm and provide deeper sleep at night.
  
  TIP : Grab your morning coffee on the terrace, or have a walk & talk meeting outside if you have the opportunity.
• Sleep in complete darkness.
  Your melatonin production responds to light, even when we sleep. A very bright environment can therefore negatively affect your sleep.
  
  TIP: Blackout curtains in the bedroom can be a great advantage – especially in the summer.
• Avoid looking at screens such as television and mobile phones after 8 p.m.
  Your production of the sleep hormone melatonin is highest just before bedtime, and blue light inhibits this production. You will therefore feel less tired and may have more difficulty falling asleep.

  TIP: Set your screens to ‘night mode’ after 8 p.m. and get a pair of screen glasses that block blue light.

A good night’s sleep is the foundation for your hormonal balance, your well-being and your fertility. If your bedtime changes a lot from day to day and you often get too little sleep, then improving sleep quality is an easy, cheap and effective measure for most people that can really make a big difference to fertility.

…I’m cheering for you all the way!

Most affectionately

The paintings