Sleeping at the wrong time of the day, not getting sound sleep at a stretch, or not sleeping enough can deprive you of its health benefits. Not getting an ample amount of sleep is the root cause of numerous diseases. If you are used to less sleep, it may not show a visible impact on your well being right away. Still, it is silently damaging to a healthy lifestyle, adding stress, tiredness, speeding up body ageing and altering normal body functions.

One comes across repetitive reminders by experts about the impact of sleep deprivation quite often. Yet it can be surprising to know—if you don't get enough sleep, it makes you less fertile. Your sperm may not be healthy if you don't have a balanced sleep schedule.

Yes, you read it right! If you want your sperm to be in the best health range, you have to sleep 7-8 hours a night. Researchers analyzed the lifestyle of approximately 700 couples to derive this conclusion. This study used pregnancy to measure the levels of male fertility. The surprising discovery revealed that men who slept between 7 to 8 hours were 31% more likely to impregnate a woman than men who slept lesser.

Don't get happy so soon. A further investigation found that men who slept for nine or more hours a night were 49% less likely to impregnate. This research is an eye-opening discovery. Experts say that poor quality sleep can make your body release less testosterone which is vital for sperm production. The study reveals that men who reported chronic sleep disorders were 28 per cent less fertile in terms of getting partners pregnant. Surplus body weight or other habits like smoking or drinking too much can also be a contributing factor, but a fair amount of sleep solves numerous issues concerning health.

Please be aware that sperm cells take up to 72 days to mature. Hence if you are trying to become a father, develop good sleeping habits at least two months prior, to boost your fertility.

Keep track of when you sleep and how much you sleep. Remember, 7-8 hours every night should do the trick to keep swimmers active.

Medically reviewed by Rishabh Verma, RP

To further understand the implications of your sleep patterns, take the Misters Sex Quiz.