Sleep quality and hormone levels in the morning and evening hours under chemical pollution

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate self-assessment of sleep and the level of hormones in the morning and evening in chemical pollution conditions. Material and methods. Three hundred adolescent and adult men living in the regions with low and high levels of chemical pollution were examined using questionnaires for self-assessment of quality of sleep, sleep hygiene, daytime sleepiness. Levels of cortisol and testosterone in the saliva were determined in the morning and evening hours by ELISA. Results and conclusion. In areas with low pollution level, there were normal changes in hormone levels with an increase in the morning and decrease in the evening. In high pollution conditions, the average levels of hormones increased, the morning-evening gradient disappeared. These conditions were also associated with an increase in daytime sleepiness and disturbances in the sleep—wake cycle and the endocrine regulation system that indicate the possibility of the development of internal desynchronosis.