The Huffington Post posted an article yesterday highlighting a new study that suggests fathers that co-sleep with their children will experience a drop in testosterone levels. The findings, published in a detailed report on PLoS ONE further support recent discussion and study that indicates lower testosterone levels in men that spend more time with their children. Personally, this is something that I believe to be 100% true, based on my own experience.
For this study, data was analyzed from a group of men from the Philippines, most of whom share the same room, if not the same sleeping surface, as their children. Saliva tests before and after sleep confirmed lower testosterone levels in the co-sleepers. The same group took part in an earlier study that found lower testosterone levels in men who’d just become fathers, with even lower levels present in those who were more involved in childcare. Thus far, there’s no definitive cause and effect results.
I haven’t discussed it previously here on The Rock Father, but I’ve had my own testosterone levels checked periodically since becoming a father, and yes, they’ve dropped. As a stay-at-home dad with two daughters, I’m in childcare mode most of the time. Then at night, the newborn is stationed in our bedroom, while the toddler often sneaks in at some point. It’s very much an experiment at this point, but I’ve been trying to counter the drop with the use of Progene, an over-the-counter testosterone booster available at GNC. Thus far, it seems to be working and the “Low T” appears to be reversible.
I’m not quite 36, and with lowered testosterone levels linked to depression, lack of energy, weight gain and more, keeping them normal is something that I’m certainly interested in and trying to be proactive about.
Have any of you experienced issues with “Low T” since becoming a dad? Share your experiences and thoughts below…
