How can hormones affect sleep patterns?

Many different: Hormone abnormalities can affect sleep patterns, particularly thyroid. There are, however, much more common mental and physical abnormalities that can cause abnormal sleep patterns.

Hormones & sleep: Through regulation of endocrine system. For example, growth hormone stimulates slow wave sleep while cortisol hormone inhibits it. Neuropeptide y induces sleep. Somatostatin interferes with sleep. Hormones that act on the inhibitory GABA receptors in the brain promote sleep.