Sleep Deprivation and Late Bedtime Impair Sperm Health Through Increasing Antisperm Antibody Production: A Prospective Study of 981 Healthy Men

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sleep duration and bedtime on sperm health, and the possible mechanism involved.Material/MethodsWe randomly divided 981 healthy Chinese men into groups according to research-set bedtimes (A=8–10 PM, B=after 10 PM, and C=after midnight) and sleep durations: group 1=<6.0 h (short), group 2=7.0–8.0 h (average), and group 3=>9.0 h (long). Sperm morphology, count, survival, and motility were examined according to sleep patterns. Antisperm antibody (ASA) production in semen was determined.ResultsSperm counts and their survival rates were lower in the short sleepers as compared to others within each group (all P<0.01). The lower counts and survival rates were observed in different bedtimes, with significant differences found between measurements of C1 vs. A1 and C2 vs. A2 or B2 (all P<0.05 or 0.01). Semen motility was lower in the short sleepers as compared to the average and long sleepers (all P<0.01). There were differences in the bedtime-related results between measurements of C1 vs. A1 or B1 (P<0.05 or 0.01). Additionally, the population proportion for the ASA-positive participates and incidence of the ASA-expressed population obviously increased in the short sleepers as compared to others within each group (all P<0.05).ConclusionsShort and long sleep durations and late bedtime were associated with impaired sperm health in the study cohort, partly through increasing ASA production in the semen.

The impact of sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, work exposure and medical history on semen parameters in young Chinese men: A cross‐sectional study

“…Regular and adequate sleep is important for normal physiology, but its role in human semen quality is not clear. In a longitudinal study, the investigators suggested that both restricted and excessive sleep had negative impact on semen quality (Chen et al, ; Liu et al, ). Sleep duration was not associated with any of the semen parameters in our study.…”

Associations of bedtime, sleep duration, and sleep quality with semen quality in males seeking fertility treatment: a preliminary study

“…The PSQI sub-component 'bedtime' was also investigated separately. Existing literature on semen quality and bedtime has categorized bedtimes as before 10 PM, 10 PM to 12 AM, and after 12 AM [8]. A similar categorization was not feasible in the present study due to relatively few data points.…”

“…These include increased risk of cardio-metabolic complications, hypertension, obesity, type 2-diabetes, cardiovascular disease, urologic complications, cancer, and depression [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Results from a limited number of recent studies suggest that inadequate bedtimes, short sleep duration, and poor sleep, assessed as poor self-reported sleep quality, may impact semen quality [7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

“…Only one study by Liu et al [8] has directly examined bedtime in relation to semen quality in a study of 981 healthy Chinese men. The study found that late bedtime and short or long sleep durations negatively impacted semen quality.…”

Anti-Sperm Antibodies: Risk Factors of Positive Serology among Infertile Men Patients in Kisangani-Democratic Republic of Congo

“…Considering the fact that traders would usually have a short sleep because often busy managing their business and they would often have a high income exposing them to risky sexual behaviors [39], our results may be justified because short sleep and infections are associated with the presence of ACAS [29] [40] [41]. As for the jobless, who have almost nothing to do, they would generally have a long sleep, which is also associated with the presence of ASA [40].…”