What causes hormonal changes?

Hormonal changes happen when your body sends out special messengers to tell different parts what to do.

Imagine your body is like a big, busy school, and hormones are like notes passed between teachers and students. When something happens, like you're playing outside all day or eating a big snack, your body needs to send new notes to adjust things like energy levels, mood, or even how tall you’re growing.

Your body has special glands that act like note-takers and note-writers. One famous gland is the pituitary, which is like a principal who decides when it’s time for recess or homework. When the pituitary sends out a message, other glands, like the thyroid or adrenal glands, get to work, sending their own messages to different parts of your body.

Sometimes you need more notes because you're growing fast, or maybe you’re stressed and need extra energy. Other times, things slow down, like when you're getting ready for bed and your body sends a "time to rest" message.

It's like changing the music in a party, sometimes it gets louder, sometimes it gets softer, but it’s always because someone (or something) is telling everyone what to do next.