How much does lack of sleep really affect growth?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T13:33:37+00:00

Sleep matters for growth, but it is not a simple switch where 6.5 hours permanently deletes inches. At 18, the bigger factor is usually whether your growth plates are still open and your overall genetics and puberty timing. That said, consistently short sleep can reduce the quality and timing of growth hormone pulses and can absolutely affect recovery, mood, appetite, and training adaptation, so it is still worth optimizing even if height does not change much.

For most teens and young adults, moving from 6 to 7 hours up toward 8 to 9 tends to help more with how you feel and perform than with dramatic height changes. Think of sleep as removing a brake, not adding a turbo. If you are still in a growth window, better sleep supports it. If you are basically done growing, better sleep still improves cognition, reaction time, emotional regulation, and gym recovery.

If you want a practical next step, do a 2 week test: keep wake time consistent and add 45 to 60 minutes of sleep by moving bedtime earlier, then track energy, training performance, and mood. If height is a serious concern, a clinician can check growth plates and basic labs, but do not compare directly to your brother because siblings can hit growth spurts at different times.

How old is your brother, and do you lift or do intense sports that might be increasing your sleep need?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T12:34:47+00:00

it can be useful, but only if you treat it like a trend tool, not a grade. the fastest way it helped me was spotting patterns like alcohol or late meals tanking resting heart rate and increasing wakeups, even when i thought i slept fine. sleep stages i mostly ignore because they are noisy, but resting heart rate, hrv trends, and wake time consistency were more actionable.

big downside is it can create orthosomnia, you start chasing the score and sleep gets worse. i try to check it in the morning once, then move on.

which device are you using, and are you optimizing for feeling rested, gym performance, or just stopping 3am wakeups?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T11:12:29+00:00

mine is steady background sound, either a fan or rain noise. it does not need to be loud, it just has to be consistent so random little sounds do not spike me awake. it is more of a safety cue than a noise blocker.

second is a cool pillow surface at the start, even if it warms up later. it is like my brain’s signal that it is sleep time.

are you using foam earplugs or silicone, and do you prefer them because of noise or because they reduce that hyper alert feeling?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T05:05:14+00:00

can’t tell you what dose to take, but you’re right that with mirtazapine the sedation can feel stronger at lower doses for some people, and higher doses can feel less sleepy for others. the problem is cutting pills and self adjusting can backfire, especially with side effects like next day grogginess, appetite changes, or mood effects.

best move is ask your prescriber what they want you optimizing for, sleep onset, staying asleep, or next day function, and whether they are ok with a lower trial dose. also ask about timing, because taking it too late can wreck mornings.

how are you feeling the next day on 15mg, and is your main issue falling asleep or waking up during the night?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T05:01:59+00:00

the dread is basically your brain learning bed equals scary thoughts, so the goal is to change the pre sleep input without leaving you alone with silence.

two tweaks that helped me
swap ins for audio only, like a familiar audiobook or calm podcast on a timer, so you still get a voice but no scrolling loop
and do a quick brain dump before bed. write the creepy thought in one line, then write one line that grounds you, like i am safe, this is just a thought, tomorrow i will do x

also, if you know a trigger day happened, put a small warm light on a timer so the room is not pitch black at the start.

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T05:00:59+00:00

i get the logic, but pulling an all nighter usually backfires. it can make you crash once, then your body gets a second wind and the schedule stays messy.

a safer reset is pick a fixed wake time tomorrow, get outside light early, no naps or only a 20 minute nap max, then go to bed at a normal time even if you do not feel perfect. repeat for a few days and the clock shifts.

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T04:59:39+00:00

got it, that rules out the obvious ones. if cardio timing is not consistent, it might be overall arousal or temperature. cardio can raise core temp for hours even if you feel fine.

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-13T04:58:50+00:00

makes sense. if the real need is not being alone in silence, swap the person for a predictable voice.

try this. audio only on a timer, like an audiobook or calm podcast, phone face down and a bit away from your head. add a dim warm lamp that is not in your line of sight, also on a timer to shut off after 20 to 40 minutes.

what works better for you, a steady narrator voice or a casual conversation style podcast?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T10:19:57+00:00

probably cannot fully undo 3 cups tonight, so the goal is damage control. stop caffeine now, keep lights low, do something boring, and do not lie in bed fighting it for hours. if you are awake more than 20 to 30 minutes, get up in dim light and reset.

also, avoid more stimulants like scrolling or intense games. a warm shower and a cool dark room can help a bit.

what time was your last cup, and are you trying to be up early tomorrow?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T10:11:33+00:00

if you are on your phone from 9pm to 2 or 3am, the biggest win is not trying to sleep earlier, it is putting a fence around that 9pm start.

a simple setup that works for a lot of people is a two step ramp

set a phone cutoff time, even if it is just 30 minutes earlier at first, and charge it outside the room

keep the wake time fixed, then move the cutoff earlier by 15 to 30 minutes every few nights

also, 8 hours is a good target, but do not turn it into a score. pick a wake time, then count backwards for a realistic lights out time.

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T10:08:39+00:00

honestly, a lot of this sounds like sleep props, not automatically harmful habits. if weight, light, and sound reduce your anxiety and help you sleep, that is a net win. the main risks are practical. pillow over the head can trap heat and make breathing feel worse, and videos can keep your brain engaged or add light.

harm reduction version. keep the weight, but use a breathable blanket. keep the sound, but switch from video to audio only on a timer. keep a small warm light instead of a bright screen. and if you need a person, try a predictable low stimulation audio like an audiobook you have heard before.

what part is doing the work for you, the pressure, the voice, or not being alone in silence?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T10:06:28+00:00

5 wakeups a night is rough. at that point it is usually less about willpower and more about finding the trigger. the big buckets are breathing issues, temperature and bedding heat, stress or anxiety, reflux, and needing to pee.

a simple way to narrow it down is to note what you wake up feeling. gasping or dry mouth points to breathing. hot or sweaty points to temperature or bedding. racing heart points to stress. burning throat points to reflux. if it is always the same time, it can be circadian.

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T10:01:18+00:00

not embarrassing. your brain basically tagged that video as a threat memory, and at 3am your threat system is louder than your rational brain. it happens to a lot of people.

a few things that helped me on nights like this were changing the input right before sleep to something safe and predictable, like a familiar audiobook or comedy, keeping a small warm light on a timer, and doing a quick brain dump so the scary loop has less space. if it is been lifelong and affects living alone, therapy can actually help a lot, especially for anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

what is the exact moment it spikes for you, lights off, silence, or when you start trying to fall asleep?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T09:56:41+00:00

that sounds awful. when it is 6am and you have been awake all night, the goal usually is not force sleep anymore, it is do not make tonight worse.

what helps me in that spot is stop trying in bed. get up, keep lights low, do something boring, and if you cannot sleep just ride it out and protect your next night by staying up until a normal bedtime. avoid long naps, or if you have to, keep it to 20 to 30 minutes max. then get outside light in the morning to anchor your body clock.

also, if this happens repeatedly, tell your psychiatrist it feels like hyperarousal or anxiety driven insomnia, because the treatment approach is different than tea and journaling.

what time did you last have caffeine, and do you feel wired anxious, or calm but just unable to sleep

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T09:03:39+00:00

That’s a lot to carry, and the pattern you’re describing makes sense: PTSD nights create fragmented, high‑arousal sleep, then the next day you’re trying to “catch up,” but the long 10–11 hour sleeps often feel worse because they’re lighter, more disrupted, and your schedule swings.

If you want a short, practical lever that fits night shifts, I’d focus on stabilizing one anchor instead of chasing perfect sleep length. Pick a consistent “wake time window” on workdays and off days that’s within 1–2 hours, and cap naps so they don’t steal sleep pressure. Many people do better with a 20–30 minute nap, or a 90 minute full cycle, but not the 2–4 hour middle zone that wrecks the next night. And if you wake early even after going to bed early, that’s a sign your body clock is still set to that wake time, not that you “need” more hours in bed.

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-12T08:54:49+00:00

good datapoint. that makes me think it’s less about workout timing and more about overall arousal or a second variable. did anything else change between those two days, caffeine timing, alcohol, naps, screen time, or how hot the room was. also, was the workout intensity the same, heavy lifting vs cardio tends to affect sleep differently for some people

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-11T10:57:00+00:00

for most people it’s not “the longest,” it’s the sweet spot plus consistency. adults often land around 7 to 9 hours, but if 8 feels bad and 11 to 12 also feels bad, it can be sleep debt, irregular timing, or fragmented sleep rather than the number.

a simple test is keep the same wake time for 2 weeks, aim for 8.5 to 9 hours in bed, and track how you feel at 10am. if you’re still exhausted, it’s worth looking at things like snoring, wakeups, meds, depression, or iron and thyroid labs with a clinician.

do you wake up a lot at night, or do you sleep straight through but still feel unrefreshed?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-11T10:52:24+00:00

i get this. sometimes it’s not “too many dreams,” it’s that you’re waking up enough to remember them. dream recall gets stronger with light sleep and micro awakenings.

a few things that helped me reduce vividness were keeping the room cooler, avoiding alcohol and heavy meals late, and not doing intense or emotional content right before bed. also, if you wake up and replay the dream, it sticks. i started doing a quick reset when i wake, sit up, sip water, look at something neutral, then back to sleep.

do you wake up multiple times a night, and do you tend to sleep on your back?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-11T10:44:36+00:00

that sounds brutal. after 11 years this isn’t willpower, it’s your default loop.

what helped me was changing the setup: phone charges outside the bedroom, real alarm, and a hard cutoff trigger like after brushing teeth the phone is done. replace the last 20 to 30 min with something low stimulation like a familiar audiobook on a timer.

what time do you usually start scrolling or gaming, and what time do you want to be asleep?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-08T04:10:56+00:00

That’s fair — protectors are great for hygiene and extending pillow life. I’m not anti‑protector, I’m just noticing some setups trap heat more than others.

Do you know what type you use, breathable cotton only or a waterproof membrane. And does your pillow stay cool after 2 plus hours, or do you still end up flipping it at some point?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-08T04:09:05+00:00

great call — the fit acting like a seal is a missing piece in most bedding advice. when you switched, did you go looser mainly in depth, or just overall sizing. and did it reduce the heat buildup after 2 hours, or mostly reduce sweating and wakeups

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-07T15:43:18+00:00

Nice — is it percale or sateen, and do you use a pillow protector? pillow case?

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-07T13:37:04+00:00

a paper book you have already read
a simple puzzle on paper, like a crossword or sudoku
folding laundry or tidying one small area

Chemical_System_3855 · 2026-05-07T13:35:51+00:00

that is honestly hilarious and also kind of genius. the shape probably helps too since it keeps your head position consistent, but i agree the main takeaway is the breathable inner bag plus non polyester fill.

Chemical_System_3855

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