The bedroom is usually used for two things, and according to one expert, they complement each other
IF your sex life is lacking, you might want to give some attention to that other major bedroom pastime – sleep.
Sex expert Laurie Mintz reckons that the two are inextricably linked – with a hidden cause of sex problems being sleeplessness and a hidden cause of sleeplessness being sex problems.
So which do you sort out first?
Laurie, author of Becoming Cliterate, explains for The Conversation that one in three American adults do not get enough sleep, and nearly half of women and a third of men are having concerns over their sex lives.
A recent study of college women for the Journal of Sexual Medicine indicated that if a woman slept for one hour longer, they would have a 14 per cent higher chance of having a sexual encounter the following day.
Similarly, the study found that more sleep correlated with better arousal – so getting more shut-eye will definitely boost your sex life.
Tiredness in new mums can negatively impact their sex drive
The National Sleep Foundation reported that new mothers are less likely to get a good night’s sleep, which has disrupted sex life, as they don’t find the time or are too tired during the day.
Lack of sleep and stress releases the hormone cortisol, which decreases testosterone, that plays a major role in your sex drive.
Another study indicated that although new fathers are affected, sleepless nights and stress dampen women’s sexual desires more than they do men’s, due to the fact that they have significantly more testosterone.
An orgasm can lead to a better sleep
Laurie goes on to explain how the reverse is true: “While sleep (and stress) have an effect on sex, […] sex affects sleep (and stress)”.
According to sex expert Ian Kerner, a lack of sex can cause sleeplessness and irritability, and there’s even evidence that cortisol decreases after orgasm, and the “love hormone” oxytocin that is released after orgasm results in better sleep.
Laurie advises us to “make one’s bedroom an exclusive haven for the joys of both sleep and sex” – so maybe it’s worth spending a little longer in there.
Earlier we revealed why men orgasm three times more often than women, and how women can make sure they climax every time.
If you’re after more shut-eye tonight, here is the secret to a good night’s sleep… and it involves porridge.
And here are six things that sex therapists have shared with their friends… you may be relieved.
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