Sleep is the New Sexy
When it comes to talk of the two most common bedroom activities, sleep, and sex, it becomes a question of the chicken or the egg—which came first. The question is, does good sleep lead to good sex, or does good sex lead to good sleep?
The short answer: YES.
Back in 1988, a Finnish study found via a survey that “satisfactory sexual life and good and quiet sleeping environment were reported to have positive effects on sleep.” [1]
Google, “Why do guys fall asleep after sex” and you will find a number of pop culture articles citing scientific reasons. Not to mention the nearly every sexually active adult (male and female) has his or her own anecdotal story about a good romp in the bed followed by some solid shut eye.
How can an activity that is so arousing help us go to sleep? One reason is the act of lovemaking, and specifically, the orgasm causes the brain to experience a surge in oxytocin and endorphins. These hormones are believed to act as sedation. [2]
In his interview with Huffington Post, Shawn Stevenson, Author of “Sleep Smarter” shared:
“…when you orgasm, you release a cocktail of hormones that actually promote good sleep. Oxytocin ― a.k.a. the love hormone ― counteracts stress hormones, which helps you fall asleep. And serotonin and norepinephrine help the body cycle through REM and deep non-REM sleep cycles.[3] [4] [5]
Unlike other hormones oxytocin doesn’t pick sides when it comes to gender. “What’s fascinating about oxytocin is how many physiological functions, behaviors, and emotions are affected by this one hormone in both men and women.” [5]
We also know the converse to be true on love and sleep. Reviewing post and article on good sleep and good sex, a user commented “Can’t be bothered with sex as too tired. Insomnia is a passion killer.”[6]
Thinking about. You don’t need doctor or science to tell you that when you sleep better you performed better. Not only in the bedroom, but in life. Quality sleep is the foundation from which all function of life is possible.
Lack of sleep may also make us a jerk online, shows research. A new study cites sleep as a factor in people’s online social media behavior: “poor sleep quality augments the effect of motor impulsivity on swearing, interpersonally deviant, and disadvantageous online behaviors, after accounting for stress effects.” These theories are based on the correlation drawn between “offline problematic behavior (e.g., gambling, substance abuse).” We also know that “Insufficient sleep has been associated with increased risk-taking and poor decision-making, [and] enhanced physiological responses to stress”. [7] Dr. Kling, a leader in women’s health released research in early 2017 suggesting that sleep disturbance are reduced in postmenopausal when the women have quality sexual intercourse on a regular basis.[8] Dr. Kling spoke with Today.com:
“While no one knows for sure why less sleep might lead to less sexual satisfaction, the study’s lead author, Dr. Juliana Kling, has some ideas.“We know that sleep is really important for our functioning,” said Kling, an assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Lack of sleep often times leads to difficulty with concentration along with other ramifications. A lot of sex is in the brain and if we’re not alert and we’re not able to focus, that might help explain some of the findings.” Studies in younger women seem to back this up. “A study in healthy college age women found that the number of hours slept at night was related to the level of sexual desire the next day,” Kling said.”[9]
Do yourself a favor by improving your sleep and your sex. We’ve had clients using the SR1 sleep device report significant increases in libido, and that is sexy!
You will be a happier healthier person for it! (Wink Wink!)
[1] Urponen, Helka, et al. “Self-evaluations of factors promoting and disturbing sleep: an epidemiological survey in Finland.” Social Science & Medicine 26.4 (1988): 443-450. [2] Odent, Michel. (1999). The Scientification of Love. London, UK: Free Association Books Limited. [3] Stevenson, Shawn. Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success. New York, NY: Rodale, 2016. N. pag. Print. [4] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-orgasms-help-you-sleep_us_57ade964e4b007c36e4e4f15 [5] http://www.thebabbleout.com/health/oxytocin/ [6] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2548674/Sleep-deprived-Have-sex-British-women-rest-80-minutes-need-EVERY-night-intimacy-key.html#ixzz4YFKxEA3U [7] Turel, Ofir, and Antoine Bechara. “Effects of motor impulsivity and sleep quality on swearing, interpersonally deviant and disadvantageous behaviors on online social networking sites.” Personality and Individual Differences 108 (2017): 91-97. [8] Kling, Juliana M., et al. “Association of sleep disturbance and sexual function in postmenopausal women.” Menopause (2017). [9] http://www.today.com/health/better-sleep-may-lead-better-sex-older-women-t107613
