Sleep is more important than many people realize. According to several studies, one of which comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a good night’s sleep improves brain performance, mood, and overall health. However, getting too little sleep is another matter altogether. The same NIH study found that sleep-deprived individuals are at a heightened risk of developing dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and other chronic health problems.
Many things can prevent people from getting a good night’s sleep. Studies show that sleep deprivation can be a byproduct of lifestyle, work, and environmental factors. Other common contributors include stress, pain, aging, insomnia, and depression. Sleep apnea can also make it difficult for some people to get a decent night’s sleep. According to the American Medical Association, an estimated 30 million people in the U.S. struggle with this particular sleeping disorder.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breathing to stop or become exceptionally shallow while individuals are sleeping. There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the throat relax and block an individual’s airway. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send the correct signals to the muscles that support and regulate breathing. Lastly, complex sleep apnea occurs when someone with obstructive sleep apnea develops central sleep apnea due to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. For those unaware, CPAP is a machine that uses mild air pressure to keep breathing airways open while individuals are sleeping. Common symptoms of sleep apnea include the following:
- Daytime sleepiness
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Lack of concentration
- Poor memory
- Snoring, namely with obstructive sleep apnea
Who Is Most Likely To Suffer From Sleep Apnea?
Multiple things can increase someone’s chances of struggling with any of the three known forms of sleep apnea, including gender. According to a study published by the Mayo Clinic, one of the largest nonprofit academic health systems in the U.S., men are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop sleep apnea than women. Men and women who are overweight, older, take certain medications, like opioids, for example, or have a family history of sleep apnea are also at heightened risk. Poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, are also risk factors for sleep apnea. The same applies to being diagnosed with heart failure, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or myasthenia gravis. Available data shows that low testosterone can also give rise to sleep apnea.
The Relationship Between Low Testosterone and Sleep Apnea
Before detailing the relationship between low T or low testosterone and sleep apnea, let’s take a moment to familiarize ourselves with the hormone testosterone. Secreted by the testes and adrenal glands in men, testosterone is responsible for the development and maintenance of male reproductive organs. It also plays a key role in the following:
- Maintaining and supporting bone density and growth
- Mood and cognitive function
- Muscle mass and strength
- Regulating sex drive and libido
- Stimulating sperm production
- The development of male secondary characteristics, such as facial hair, a deep voice, and body fat distribution
Most doctors agree that a testosterone reading of 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) is considered normal and healthy. Unfortunately, 40% of men aged 45 and older have levels below 300 ng/dL. When testosterone levels in a man’s blood fall below what is considered healthy and normal, it can trigger decreased respiratory drive, increased upper airway muscle relaxation, and reduced blood oxygen levels, all of which can trigger sleep apnea. And it does not end there. Because low T is also associated with a higher apnea-hypopnea index and more sleep time with O2 saturation levels below 90%, it can also lead to elevated cortisol levels, sleep fragmentation, and insomnia. Common contributors when it comes to low T in men include aging, obesity, and taking certain medications, especially anabolic steroids, opioids, and chemotherapy drugs.
How Testosterone Replacement Therapy Can Boost Low Testosterone Levels and Combat Sleep Apnea
For some people, adopting healthy lifestyle habits is enough to boost low testosterone and relieve deficiency-related symptoms, including sleep apnea. That’s according to a study published by Harvard Health Publishing, the consumer health information division of Harvard Medical School (HMS), the graduate medical school of Harvard University. The study revealed that consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight can help boost testosterone production by up to 30%.
For those needing a medicinal approach toward boosting low testosterone levels in their blood, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) might be worth considering. TRT involves using FDA-approved prescription medications, which, administered by injection, patches, topical gels, or nasal sprays, work by replacing the body’s natural testosterone with synthetic testosterone. Some of the more popular testosterone-boost medications prescribed today include the following:
- Androderm and Testoderm
- AndroGel
- Aveed
- Delatestryl
- Depo-Testosterone
- Fortesta
- Testim
- Testopel
- Vogelxo
How Long Does It Take To See Results After Starting TRT?
While timeframes can vary, most men report seeing improvements in sex drive and energy levels within 3 to 6 weeks of starting a TRT regimen. Within 6 to 12 weeks, many report improved mood, sleep, and muscle strength. The longer they remain on the treatment regimen, the more improvements they will see. Many of the same men taking testosterone-boosting medication report significant changes in their body composition, such as increased muscle mass and decreased body fat, within 3 to 6 months and improvements in bone density and cholesterol levels in 6 to 12 months.
How To Start a TRT Regimen
The first step in starting a TRT regimen requires being formally diagnosed with a testosterone deficiency by a licensed physician. To make such a diagnosis, a physician will review an individual’s medical history and symptoms, perform a physical exam, and order blood tests. If a testosterone deficiency is confirmed, the physician will prescribe the testosterone-boosting medication that they believe is the right fit for them. Whether individuals are looking for pills, patches, or testosterone injections to buy online or at a brick-and-mortar pharmacy after receiving a prescription from their doctor, they should only buy them from licensed, reputable pharmacies.
Doing so lowers the risk of getting expired, counterfeit, or ineffective testosterone medications that could compromise their health. It is also crucial for them to take these medications as prescribed. Misusing or abusing testosterone medications can have severe and life-threatening consequences. Some of these include gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, infertility, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, liver disease, and bone growth problems.
In summary, many men struggle with sleep apnea. And for some, low testosterone is to blame. Fortunately, there are natural and medicinal ways to boost low testosterone levels and combat sleep apnea, adopting healthy lifestyle habits and starting a TRT regimen being among them.