A recent research showed why having a good night\u2019s sleep is important, particularly for men. According to researchers from University of Southern Denmark, men deprived of sleep were seen to have reduced levels of testosterone and significantly low sperm counts. As if this wasn\u2019t enough, the same men were observed to have a shrinkage testicular size resulting from their lack of enough sleep. For decades now, the industrialized world has recorded a precipitous drop in sperm counts. As of now, the fall has largely been associated to men not taking a good diet as well as an increasing sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle. According to the researchers, this significant drop in sperm count is seriously worrying and men should be careful about the kind of diet they are taking. Also, with increased industrialization and Internet advancement, most people are leading very poor lifestyles, which could have a negative effect on their fertility. For men, such forms of sedentary lifestyle are associated with low sperm counts, which make it difficult for them to conceive.<\/p>\n
For this particular study, the researchers conducted their survey in a group of about 1000 men. Then men recruited in the study were either in their early twenties or late teens. The researchers sought data from them regarding their sleep schedule, sleep habits and sleep interruptions. During the study, the researchers also measured the size of the men\u2019s testicles and also took their sperm count. The men were assessed for their sperm viability and sperm count. For men who said, they had various sleeping problems like having inconsistent sleep where they often woke up, staying awake at late night and had insomnia problems, researchers found a significant drop of their sperm count by about 29 percent. In addition to this, their sperms appeared more deformed by 1.6 percent and compared to men who had a good rest, they had relatively smaller testicles. This was a direct indicator of the importance of sufficient rest and a good night\u2019s sleep for men in improving their fertility.<\/p>\n
Based on existing theories of unhealthy lifestyles, researchers admitted that those men with poor sleeping quality also led extremely unhealthy lives compared to men who slept well. Those men who had bad rests at night were fatter, overweight, smoked more and drank more alcohol unlike men who had a high-quality night sleep. The main questions posed by the researchers were: do poor-quality sleep damage testosterone levels in men and their overall health or does making unhealthy and poor lifestyle choices such as drinking and smoking affecting sleep, sperm and testosterone levels? While the study provided a good base in highlighting what a poor night\u2019s sleep mean for fertility in men, there is need for more studies to be undertaken on this area to ascertain what causes what.<\/p>\n