Age-related Sleep Alterations: Implications for Endocrine Function

Age-related sleep and endocrine alterations frequently interact with each other. For a number of hormones, the effects of sleep curtailment in young subjects mimic those observed in healthy older adults with normal sleep schedule. Thus, voluntary sleep loss, which is experienced by a substantial proportion of people in more-developed countries, and has become a hallmark of modern society, could contribute to accelerate the senescence of endocrine and metabolic function.