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Does growth hormone affect anti-aging care?
Growth hormone is secreted in large amounts during sleep. This hormone has the effect of promoting metabolism and the secretion of estrogen, a female hormone. In addition, it is involved in bone and muscle formation, fat breakdown, and boosting immunity, so it would not be an exaggeration to call it an anti-aging hormone.
According to sleep therapist Miho Mihashi, it is very important to initiate sleep because a lot of growth hormone is secreted within about 3 hours after falling asleep.
What kind of sleep secretes growth hormone?
"Non-REM sleep, which occurs in the first half of sleep, is said to be deep sleep, but in fact, it is divided into four stages, from a drowsy state to a deep sleep state.
Non-REM sleep stage 1 is a drowsy state, where you are half asleep and half awake. Stage 2 is a sound sleep state where anyone can tell you are sleeping. Stage 3 is a deep sleep state where you cannot maintain your posture when sleeping on a train. Stage 4 is an even deeper sleep state.
Stages 3-4 of non-REM sleep are called slow-wave sleep, which is sleep that deeply rests the cerebrum. Growth hormone begins to be secreted in response to this slow-wave sleep," says Mihashi.
What are REM sleep and non-REM sleep?
There are two types of sleep: REM sleep, where you dream and organize memories, and non-REM sleep, where both your body and brain rest. One cycle from non-REM sleep to the end of REM sleep is about 90 minutes. In healthy sleep, slow-wave sleep is obtained during the first two cycles or so. Therefore, the first three hours of sleep are very important for growth hormone as well.
Due to my job, I don't get much sleep, but maybe 3 hours of solid sleep is enough?
"However, non-REM sleep alone is not enough. You need time for the secreted growth hormone to circulate throughout your body. Furthermore, without REM sleep, which becomes more abundant in the latter half of sleep, you cannot organize memories or simulate stress coping behaviors, and you lose the opportunity to learn and organize experiences.
There is also data showing that if you sleep for 4 and a half hours for 5 days in a row, your brain is prone to depression, and if you sleep for less than 6 hours for more than a week, it becomes easier to damage more than 700 genes. The healthiest amount of sleep is said to be around 7 and a half hours. You should sleep for at least 6 hours," says Mihashi.
Oh no! So, 3 hours of non-REM sleep alone wasn't enough! That's understandable, of course... But what should people who are busy and can't get 7 hours of sleep do?
I'm busy and sleep for a short time... but I want to promote melatonin secretion!
"Melatonin, the hormone that lowers body temperature and promotes sleep, is secreted in large amounts between 2 and 4 am. Melatonin also has antioxidant effects, so even if you sleep for a short time, you should be in deep sleep by 2 am. If you only have 3-4 hours of sleep, it is recommended to go to bed between 0 and 1 am and wake up around 4 am.
However, cortisol, an anti-stress hormone that burns fat, begins to increase its secretion around 3 am and peaks around 8 am. Also, REM sleep increases between 3 and 6 am. Considering everything, the best for your body is to get slow-wave sleep until 3 am, and then get solid REM sleep, so sleeping between 0 and 6 am is ideal," says Mihashi.
Since hearing that, even when I'm busy, I try to sleep between 0 and 6 am as much as possible. As expected, when I sleep during that time, I feel deeply rested and my fatigue is considerably relieved!
