Lack of sleep shrinks testicles and lowers sperm count

Researchers have found that testicles shrink and sperm production decreases in sleep-deprived men, according to an article in the Daily Mail (UK) today.

They found lack of sleep could lower testosterone levels too.

Scientists found sperm numbers dropped by more than a quarter in men not getting a full night's rest due to late nights, insomnia and broken sleep.

Sperm numbers dropped by more than a quarter in men not getting a full night's rest due to late nights, insomnia and broken sleep.

Sleep loss has in the past been linked with increased risk of obesity, breast cancer and heart disease.

Experts believe the ideal amount of rest is between seven and eight hours a night.

For example, one US study showed adults getting less than six hours a night were 36 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 22 per cent more at risk of a stroke than those who got a full seven or eight hours.

But the latest investigation, by researchers from the University of Southern Denmark, is believed to be the first to show insufficient rest can also affect male fertility.

Sperm counts have been tumbling in recent years amid fears that male fertility is being harmed by poor diet and lifestyle, or even 'gender-bending' chemicals in the environment.

But the latest research, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, suggests modern sleep patterns may also be a factor.

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