Sleep over this one

Sleep – stress – and infertility are interlinked. Break the chain. Results will be evident, suggests Dr Prakash Kini

Richa, a 36-year-old successful IT professional, walked into my consultation room with problems of conceiving after 5 years of trying. A little probe into her lifestyle revealed her enormous work pressure with frequent late nights with early wake-up calls and a constant lack of sleep. Such factors often lead to problems of conception.

Facts about sleep

Sleep, when defined as short, is less than 6 hours and as long, is more than 9 hours, and is associated with a “reduced probability” of pregnancy. Women reporting sleep problems — other than sleep apnea — were 3.7 times more likely to be at risk for infertility than women with normal sleep patterns.

Men who slept too little or too long had a 42% reduction in the probability of conception in any given month, using 8 hours as a reference point.

Men who self-reported trouble with sleep half the time also had the greatest problems getting their partner pregnant.

Everyone gets stressed out once in a while. So if you are hassled for a few weeks at work or anxious about a big move, it most likely won’t hurt your baby-making abilities.

Did you know there’s a long list of “lifestyle” factors that we know can affect the fertility of both women and men?

From obesity to smoking to stress, you can now add problems with sleep to the list. Sleep disorders can increase the risk of fertility-related issues for both sexes. But if your stress goes on for a long period of time or if you are dealing with a major upheaval, then your ovulation might get thrown out of sequence. So as months go by without conception, stress kicks in and women struggling with infertility have the same level of anxiety, depression and sleeplessness as women diagnosed with other related issues. As a result, a vicious cycle begins.

Research has shown that people who get less than 5 hours of sleep are more likely to suffer from obesity which can further lead to problems with fertility. Disturbed sleep can lead to infertility in 30% of females also causing decreased ovarian reserve in 30%.

Also, male infertility can upsurge with sleep and stress causing low and poor quality sperms.

Some studies show that women working the night shift around their ovulation phase have 15-20% increased chances of miscarriage. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention states that 10% of women of childbearing age have trouble conceiving or completing their term of pregnancy.

What can be done?

Exercise for “just the right” amount. Physical activity both lowers stress and boosts fertility. Working out moderately raises the odds of conception, but women who worked out more vigorously were less likely to get pregnant. Endorphins and catecholamines surge post-exercise and after a physical fitness regime and these are proven stress busters.

Watch your weight as even being slightly overweight may affect fertility and it is not just women who need to watch the scale. Obesity can also negatively impact male fertility leading to lower sperm counts. Just as eating too much can cause fertility issues, weighing too little or extreme dieting can lead to anorexia and end your menstrual cycles. A balanced diet is a must.

(The author is a senior obstetrician & gynaecologist.)