Do You Get Taller When You Sleep?

About a third of your life is spent sleeping. It doesn’t come as a big surprise since sleep is highly necessary for rejuvenating our mind and repairing our body.

Perhaps you have heard or read from somewhere that sleep is also essential for increasing the height. If you would like to find out if this is true or not, keep on reading this article.

So, do you get taller when you sleep? Yes, sleeping can lead to height increase. Such is the result of elevated levels of growth hormones in the bloodstream. It can also be due to the decompression of the spinal discs, which can be maximized by sleeping on one’s back or side.

Adolescents should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, while adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. If done correctly, height increase ranging from half an inch to 2 inches is possible.

We will talk about these matters in a more in-depth way in this article. You should definitely read on, especially if you are in your teens, and you want to make sure that you’re going to end up as a tall individual.

This article is also for you if you are past your puberty, and still, you are hoping to grow taller.

Let’s Kick Things Off by Discussing Growth Hormones

It’s quite obvious what role the growth hormone plays. Just by looking at the name alone, everyone can tell that it is the one that’s responsible for making your body grow bigger.

When researching about height increase on the web, you may encounter the words somatotropin and human growth hormone or HGH. Well, they are the same.

Your growth hormone is produced by the front part of your pituitary gland. An endocrine gland that’s about the size of a pea; it is located in your brain.

If truth be told, the pituitary gland secretes many other hormones aside from growth hormone. Yes, you can consider your pituitary gland as one very busy gland!

Going back to growth hormone, a lot of it is secreted by the pituitary gland during puberty. This is precisely the reason why growth spurts in boys and girls take place during their teenage years.

Does the pituitary gland of an adult still secrete growth hormone? Absolutely! However, the amount of the hormone produced wanes as you get older and older.

Growth Hormone Production Peaks During Sleep

Scientists say that the pituitary gland secretes growth hormone 24 hours a day and seven days a week. After all, your body does not stop growing and repairing itself.

So in other words, your pituitary gland is continuously churning out growth hormones in order to keep your body functioning properly and you yourself alive.

However, there is a particular time in which the pituitary gland releases more growth hormone into your blood. It takes place while you are making a trip to dreamland.

This is just one of the various reasons why sleeping is essential. While you are snoring, your body is being provided with lots of growth hormones needed for growth and repair, too.

It’s due to this why teens tend to sleep much longer than adults. According to experts, adolescent boys and girls need to have 8 to 10 hours of sleep every single night.

This gives their pituitary gland plenty of time to produce lots of growth hormones. Adults, on the other hand, only need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Tips on Boosting Growth Hormone Production

Before we proceed with the rest of the things that we have to discuss getting taller when you sleep, let us take a quick detour.

Did you know that you can, in fact, encourage your pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones than normal? Especially if you want to grow taller by means of sleeping, you should definitely know how it can be done.

You’ll be more than happy to learn that something as easy as reducing your intake of sugar is perfect for boosting growth hormone production.

If being tall is more important than pleasing your sweet tooth, then you should find this tip really easy to follow. Getting rid of excess pounds can also encourage your pituitary gland to release more growth hormones.

Scientists agree that taking a melatonin pill before going to bed is a great idea. That’s because it can actually promote increased production of growth hormones.

What’s more, melatonin is also proven to help encourage sleep and also increase the quality of your sleep. It’s no wonder why melatonin can be your best friend if you are short!

Enough Sleep is Needed Nightly for Different Reasons

Needless to say, it is a definite must for you to get plenty of sleep every single night. Especially if you are still in your teenage years, see to it that you get up to 10 hours of shut-eye nightly.

Not only will this allow your pituitary gland to produce as much growth hormones as it possibly can, but it also enables your body to use growth hormones to the fullest.

Just because you are no longer a teenager doesn’t mean that you no longer need lots of sleep. Again, your pituitary gland still produces growth hormones, although not as plentiful as when you were back in your puberty.

As an adult, you still need growth hormones because your body is constantly being repaired and growing to some degree.

Besides, it’s not just for increasing your height why you should have up to 9 hours of sleep per night as an adult. Getting sufficient amounts of sleep nightly is necessary for keeping your mind working in excellent condition.

It is also vital for enabling your body to bounce back from stress, thus keeping it in the pink of health.

The Best Time to Sleep for Maximum Growth

It’s not enough that you get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night if you are a teenager or 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night if you are an adult.

According to experts, it is also crucial for you to get to dreamland at the right time nightly! So, in other words, aside from the length of your sleep, you should also focus on when you sleep.

Because of hormonal changes as well as stresses that come with being teens, it is perfectly normal for boys and girls in their puberty to be able to fall asleep at around 11 pm.

Sadly, this can be a problem if they need to wake up early the next day for school. The solution is for them to sleep earlier than 11 pm, or simply opt for a later school schedule if that’s possible.

The same is true with adults. The time they should go to sleep at night depends on what time they need to get up the following day in order to prepare for work or take care of the kids.

No matter the case, it is very important to give the body the amount of sleep it needs according to the age of the individual.

Let Us Talk About Growth Spurts Quickly

Growth spurts refer to moments in which there’s rapid growth in height and weight. They happened to you from the time that you were a baby until you were in your teens.

In girls, the final growth spurt usually takes place between 10 years old and 14 years old. By the time that they are 15 years old, they have already reached their full height.

Boys, on the other hand, tend to encounter their final growth spurt later than girls. It usually takes place between 12 years old and 15 years old.

By the time boys are 16 years old, it is said that they have already reached their maximum height. Because they have their growth spurt later than girls, boys tend to end up as taller adults than women.

Worry not if you are already in your 20s or 30s, and you are not completely happy with your height. That’s because there are many things that you can do to encourage your body to grow even more. One of them is getting enough sleep per night. In fact, sleeping can help you to become a taller individual instantly!

As an Adult, Sleeping Allows You to Grow Taller

Just like what’s mentioned earlier, the final growth spurt is over by the time girls are 15 years old, and boys are 16 years old. This only means that you will no longer undergo a growth spurt if you are no longer a teenage person.

However, sleeping for 7 to 9 hours per night can actually make you taller the next day, just like magic!

Note that it has nothing to do with a growth spurt. Rather, it’s all about allowing the discs of your spine to expand as you lie in bed, which helps to keep them from being compressed by gravity.

As you go about your day, gravity is pulling all the bones of your spine towards the ground, and this causes the discs of your spine to become compressed.

By getting plenty of sleep, you are giving those discs enough time to expand all over again.

That’s because gravity is unable to pull the bones of your spine towards the ground while you are in a vertical position as you are having some shut-eye. This is why you are taller the moment that you get out of bed the following day!

Gaining Up to a Couple of Inches is Possible

Spending plenty of time in bed is actually enough to make you a taller person like magic! Again, it has something to do with the fact that the discs in between the bones of your spine are given the opportunity to break free from compression brought about by gravity.

So, in other words, sleeping allows for an instant increase in your height.

In the morning, it is very much possible for you to be half an inch taller than the night before. So, for example, if you are 5 feet and 11 1/2 tall, in the morning you can be 6 feet tall!

Sleeping more may even allow you to gain up to 2 inches in height, just like astronauts that spend some time in outer space where there is no gravity.

However, it’s important to know that as the day goes on, it’s very much likely for you to return to your normal height.

That’s because gravity is causing the discs located in between the bones of the spine to become compressed more and more. In order to maintain the height increase effect of sleeping, consider lying in bed from time to time throughout the day.

Other Ways to Keep Your Height Increase Around

Yes, by lying in bed every now and then, it is very much possible for you to remain taller by half an inch or more all day long. Taking frequent naps is also a great idea.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege to lie down and nap several times a day. This is most especially true if you are leading a very busy life, and you have tons of duties and responsibilities.

Aside from hopping into bed or having a siesta, fortunately, there are other things that you may do in order to maintain your taller frame as a result of getting plenty of sleep the night before.

Hanging from a bar is proven to be effective for allowing the discs located between the bones of your spine to expand. If you feel daring, you may try hanging upside down from a bar!

Engaging in an assortment of stretching exercises is also very good for getting your spine elongated. One very popular example is yoga.

It’s no secret that yoga is great for people who are suffering from too much stress and anxiety as it can encourage the mind and body to relax. Yoga is also effective for increasing your height as it is a form of stretching exercise.

Best Sleeping Position For You to Grow in Height

It’s also essential for you to sleep in the right position each night. This is a definite must, especially if you want to grow more than just half an inch the next day.

Definitely, you should avoid sleeping in a seated or reclined position. That’s because this can keep your spine from being completely horizontal, which is important to neutralize gravity.

According to experts, the best sleeping position for height increase is lying on your back. Doing so allows your spine to become straightened as it is being released from the effect of gravity.

For best results, place a small pillow under your knees. On the other hand, sleeping on your belly or stomach should be avoided at all costs!

You may also sleep on your side with your one knees bent, and with a small pillow in between them, experts add. This position also helps to reduce the effect of gravity on your spine as you snore. Just remember to place an extra pillow under your head and neck if you have broad shoulders for better support.

Sleeping is Best Paired With Other Methods

By now, you are already aware of the fact that sleep can definitely make you grow taller. It can be because of increased growth hormone production by the pituitary gland. It can also be because of the expansion of the discs located in between the bones of your spine. Either way, there is no denying that sleeping works!

However, it’s not enough that you get sufficient amounts of sleep per night in order for you to grow taller. It is definitely a wonderful idea for you to pair enough sleep with some other methods that are proven essential for height increase.

Engaging in stretching exercises, as well as some types of sports, can help you see impressive results.

It is also highly recommended for you to opt for healthy eating. On a daily basis, you should consume foods that are rich in calcium, which is a mineral necessary for proper bone growth, development, and strengthening.

Other nutrients needed by the bones include potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, vitamin K, B vitamins, and protein.

Let’s Do a Quick Recap Just Before You Go

Whew! That’s a lot of very helpful pieces of information crammed into this article! If you are serious about trying to grow taller with the help of sleep, then you could benefit from all the stuff that we talked about.

And that’s why there is no better way for us to end this article than summing up what we have discussed from the very beginning. There are a couple of reasons why sleep can help you to become a taller person.

First, it’s while you are sleeping when growth hormones are released and utilized.

Second, while sleeping, the discs situated in between the bones of your spine are allowed to decompress, thus enabling you to grow taller by as much as half an inch in the morning.

If you are in your teens, consider sleeping for 8 to 10 hours per night for you to be able to reach your maximum height without trouble.

Sleeping on your back or on your side is highly recommended. You should do the same if you are already an adult, making sure that every night you enjoy 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Just remember to engage in stretching exercises and even certain types of sports in order to maintain the increase in your height!