Hormone production during sleep

When evening falls, the pineal gland in our brain starts to produce the sleep hormone melatonin. The production of melatonin is stimulated by darkness. At the same time, the hormone seratonin, which keeps us in a good mood during the day, is also broken down. The good mood gives way to tiredness and our body demands sleep. Immediately afterwards, the pituitary gland in the brain produces the growth hormone somatropin. This helps children to grow and build bones and muscles. In adults, it replaces dead cells and strengthens the immune system. This growth hormone is most active during the deep sleep phase.

During the night, the hormone leptin ensures that we are not hungry. When we are awake, our body produces the hormone ghrelin, which makes us feel hungry. So if we stay awake too long, sleep too little or for too short a time, our body produces too much ghrelin and the nightly trip to the fridge is pre-programmed. We get downright ravenous. Early in the morning, around 3 a.m., the pick-me-up hormone cortisol kicks in. It wakes us up, raises our blood pressure and makes our heart beat faster. Now we no longer reach deep sleep phases, our body prepares itself for the day. We wake up again.