Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Low‑dose naltrexone (LDN) is a low dose of naltrexone that is thought to briefly block opioid receptors to boost natural endorphins and support immune balance.
Long-term sleep disorders and insomnia in men can affect the ability to focus and think productively, energy levels, and emotional well-being. Sleep disorders can also affect work performance, relationships, and overall satisfaction and enjoyment of life. Poor sleep can lead to emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and cognitive difficulties, and each of these issues can make sleeping soundly more difficult. Left untreated, sleep disorders can lead to bigger health issues, including increasing the risk for life-threatening conditions like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep disorders that affect men, along with narcolepsy, and delayed sleep phase disorder (DSP). Additionally, during midlife, when men experience andropause and the natural decline in testosterone levels, sleep disorders and insomnia may become even more prevalent. Anytime hormones are out of balance, it can potentially affect getting a restful night’s sleep.
Belmar Pharmacy offers different types of therapy for sleeping disorders, including personalized bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), low dose naltrexone (LDN), sermorelin acetate, and melatonin.
Sleep Disorders and Insomnia Medications for Men from Belmar Pharmacy
Sermorelin Acetate
Sermorelin acetate is a growth hormone–releasing hormone that may stimulate the pituitary gland to naturally boost human growth hormone levels as they decline with age.
Progesterone
Belmar Pharmacy offers bioidentical micronized progesterone compounds. This hormone is crucial during the reproductive years and can benefit perimenopausal and postmenopausal women particularly in areas of endometrial protection, sleep, and mood.
About Sleep Disorders and Insomnia
Types + Causes
The cause of insomnia and sleep disorders can be very complex. There is often a relationship between hormone levels and sleep quality, so as men age and testosterone levels decline, it often becomes increasingly challenging to get a restful night’s sleep. Additionally, stress, anxiety, daily concerns over money or relationships, and sleep environment may all contribute to chronic sleep disorders.
Men most commonly experience sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, delayed sleep phase disorder (DSP), and jet lag or shift work disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea is the result of the throat muscles relaxing too much during sleep so the individual stops breathing many times a night. OSA often leads to chronic fatigue during the day and trouble focusing, morning headaches, increased irritability, and even depression.
Narcolepsy is when men fall asleep suddenly as a result of extreme fatigue. Men with narcolepsy may suddenly fall asleep in the middle of daily activities, such as eating, working, or driving, which can be extremely dangerous. Narcolepsy requires treatment in order to resolve; it doesn’t get better on its own.
Delayed sleep phase disorder is a sleep disorder in which men aren’t able to fall asleep until several hours after a “normal” bedtime. Men with DSP often stay up very late at night, experience restless sleep, and then have a hard time waking up early in the morning.
Jet lag disorder and shift work disorder may occur as the result of an odd-hours work schedule or extensive travel for work. These sleep disorders often affect men who work overnight or rotating work shifts. This can affect the body’s natural circadian rhythm so it doesn’t know when to sleep or when to be awake. Melatonin often helps men who suffer from jet lag or shift work disorder.
Having bad sleep hygiene may also increase the risk of sleep disorders and insomnia in men. Consuming alcohol or caffeine before bed, or an irregular sleep schedule can lead to chronic sleep disorders.
Diagnosis
The underlying causes of sleep disorders and insomnia in men are often complex. To address symptoms of insomnia, healthcare providers may conduct a physical exam along with discussion of health history and sleep habits. A journal or diary of sleep patterns can help shed light on symptoms of insomnia. Sleep studies — where brain waves, breathing, heart rate, and body movements are monitored during sleep — are often instrumental in diagnosing sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.
Therapies
To treat sleep disorders in men, addressing underlying medical conditions may be the first approach. For example, OSA often improves when patients tackle weight management concerns. Excess weight can lead to upper airway narrowing and obstruction, worsening the sleep problem. OSA and other sleep issues have also been connected to testosterone decline in midlife. BHRT for hormone imbalances and reducing stress levels may alleviate troubling sleep symptoms, especially during andropause when androgen decline throws off cortisol balance.
Belmar Pharmacy compounds sermorelin acetate, a growth hormone releasing hormone that has been shown to help with sleep quality and physiologic recovery. Belmar also compounds low dose naltrexone (LDN), which is known to have anti-inflammatory properties and to positively affect endorphins. These changes can lead to sleep improvements over time, particularly for patients with chronic pain conditions or autoimmune disease. Melatonin can be compounded in various doses and dosage forms to help the body reset circadian timing, which may be an ideal way to manage circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
Many men with sleep disorders and insomnia find that starting sleep disorder therapy can address their symptoms of fatigue, trouble concentrating and decrease restless nights. Some even find their anxiety and depression may improve, helping men function better during the day and reinforcing better sleep at night.
Commonly Asked Questions About Sleep Disorders and Insomnia in Men
One of the most common sleep disorders for millions of American adults, including men, is insomnia – the inability to easily fall asleep at night, or to be able to stay asleep. Insomnia affects more women than men and can be short-lived (lasting a few nights or weeks due to stress or a major life event) or long term (chronic insomnia). For men, insomnia often begins with andropause during midlife, work-related pressures, or difficult relationships with partners and family members.
Symptoms of insomnia include trouble falling asleep at night, waking up too early, waking up multiple times a night, and feeling tired during the day. Fatigue, low energy, and anxiety may also be symptoms of chronic insomnia.
Over time, low testosterone levels in midlife can lead to depression, which is often highly disruptive of sleep quality. When sleep quality is poor, men often find themselves lacking motivation to exercise, participate in hobbies, and other things that once were enjoyable. Hormone replacement therapy may help improve sleep disorders and insomnia in men by restoring low testosterone levels. With testosterone replacement therapy, it’s possible for men to feel like their “old selves” again, and therefore, improve their sleeping habits and suffer less from insomnia.
Melatonin, produced naturally in the body, helps promote a quiet, calm state at night that helps with sleep. As the brain releases melatonin, levels should rise a couple hours before bedtime so the body can begin to relax and prepare for sleep. However, men suffering from sleep disorders and insomnia may be melatonin deficient. Taking small doses of melatonin may help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and help promote a deeper sleep with fewer instances of waking in the middle of the night.
Signs that men are not getting enough sleep or the good sleep quality they need include:
- Feeling tired all day; lack of energy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Lack of motivation at work or home
- Irritable or easily angered
- Falling asleep during meetings or other times during the day
