Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a hormone that your body produces and secretes via your adrenal gland. Your DHEA levels start reducing after you reach the age of 30, MayoClinic.com notes. Health conditions such as end-stage kidney disease and type 2 diabetes sometimes cause your DHEA levels to be low. High DHEA levels purportedly induce insomnia, but high doses actually might not affect your sleeping patterns, according to a study in a 2000 issue of "Physiology & Behavior."
Testing DHEA Levels
DHEA levels are measurable via a blood test. Normal DHEA levels vary according to gender and age, and lower as you age. For example, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, normal DHEA levels for 18- to 19-year-old women are between 145 ug/dL and 395 ug/dL, while women between 20 and 29 have levels of 65 ug/dL to 380 ug/dL. By the time women are over 69, the normal DHEA ranges between 17 ug/dL and 90 ug/dL. The normal range for males between 18 and 19 is 108 ug/dL to 441 ug/dL, and for men 20 to 29, normal levels are between 280 ug/dL and 640 ug/dL. Men over 69 have DHEA levels between 28 ug/dL and 175 ug/dL.
DHEA Side Effects
DHEA supplement use is associated with side effects like arrhythmia, acne fatigue, nasal congestion and headaches, MayoClinic.com notes. DHEA hormone-related side effects include increases blood sugar and insulin resistance, as well as altered cholesterol and thyroid hormone levels. DHEA also purportedly elevates your risk of developing cancers like prostate, breast or ovarian cancer. High DHEA levels such as elevated those induced by excessive supplementation have been associated with Cushing's syndrome.
High DHEA and Insomnia
Despite purported claims, high levels of DHEA do not seem to cause insomnia, according to a study published in a 2000 issue of "Physiology & Behavior." The study examined the effect of DHEA on sleep-wake behavior in laboratory rats. The study revealed that DHEA changes the sleep EEG in the rat test subjects. Changes in EEG often correspond to changes in brain activity. Theoretically, changes in EEG during sleep might interfere with a subject's sleep cycle, but DHEA did not affect sleep time or disrupt sleeping patterns in the rat test subjects. If DHEA also has this affect on humans, then the study's findings suggest that elevated DHEA might not induce insomnia or cause difficulties getting uninterrupted sleep.
Low DHEA and Insomnia
Low DHEA levels cause insomnia, according to a study published in a 1998 issue of "The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatrist." The study examined the effect of low DHEA levels and their correlation to psychiatric symptoms that affect the elderly. The results of the study showed that low levels of DHEA cause insomnia and pain.
References
- MayoClinic.com; DHEA; August 2011
- MedlinePlus; DHEA-sulfate Test; Ari S. Eckman; April 2010
- "Physiology and Behavior"; High doses of systemic DHEA-Sulfate Do Not Affect Sleep Structure and Elicit Moderate Changes in Non-REM Sleep EEG in Rats"; Schiffelholz T, et al.; June 2000
- "The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S) and Psychiatric and Laboratory Measures of Frailty in a Residential Care Population; Morrison MF, et al.; 1998
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