Sleep protects your oocytes
Melatonin, the hormone of sleep, has been found not only in the brain. It is present in the follicular fluid that surrounds the egg, in a concentration even higher than in the blood. There it serves as an antioxidant: it protects the oocyte from damage during maturation and improves the quality of fertilization.
Research has shown that women with high levels of oxidative stress in their follicular fluid have lower oocyte quality. Melatonin sets this right.
Restful sleep is not merely rest. It is part of your reproductive health.
Sources
- Tamura H, Takasaki A, Miwa I et al. Oxidative stress impairs oocyte quality and melatonin protects oocytes from free radical damage and improves fertilization rate. Journal of Pineal Research, 2008; 44(3):280–287. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-079X.2007.00524.x
- Tamura H, Takasaki A, Taketani T et al. The role of melatonin as an antioxidant in the follicle. Journal of Ovarian Research, 2012; 5:5. doi: 10.1186/1757-2215-5-5
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