Which of the following best describes the effect of sleep deprivation on growth hormone and cortisol levels?

• A. Sleep deprivation decreases both growth hormone and cortisol levels.
• B. Sleep deprivation decreases growth hormone levels and increases cortisol levels.
• C. Sleep deprivation increases both growth hormone and cortisol levels.
• D. Sleep deprivation increases growth hormone levels and decreases cortisol levels.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the roles of growth hormone and cortisol in the body: Growth hormone is primarily involved in growth, cell repair, and metabolism, while cortisol is a stress hormone that helps regulate metabolism and the body's response to stress.
2. Recognize how sleep affects hormone regulation: During normal sleep, especially deep sleep stages, growth hormone secretion is typically increased, supporting bodily repair and growth processes.
3. Consider the impact of sleep deprivation: Lack of sleep disrupts normal hormone cycles, often leading to a decrease in growth hormone secretion because the body misses the deep sleep phases when growth hormone is released.
4. Analyze cortisol changes due to sleep deprivation: Sleep deprivation acts as a physiological stressor, which tends to increase cortisol levels as the body responds to stress and attempts to maintain alertness and energy.
5. Combine these insights to answer the question: Sleep deprivation decreases growth hormone levels due to reduced deep sleep and increases cortisol levels due to stress response, making the correct description that sleep deprivation decreases growth hormone and increases cortisol.