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Is your sex life not leaving you satisfied anymore? Before you blame being overworked or having young kids, or start to fear the worst - a cheating partner - you may want to look at your sleep habits as a couple. Beyond just being tired, poor sleep quality is directly linked to “inadequate” levels of sex hormones, like testosterone, and that’s not just an issue for men.
“The sex drive in both men and women is testosterone-related — testosterone increases libido,” explains Dr. Phyllis Zee, chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “Testosterone begins to rise about 3 or 4 o’clock and peaks in the morning. And studies have shown that if you have disrupted sleep, those levels fall.”
- A recent analysis of studies finds that men who are sleep-deprived have lower testosterone levels, while another study finds that guys who don’t get quality sleep have both lower testosterone levels and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
- In one recent study, women over age 50 who slept fewer than seven to eight hours a night were less likely to report being sexually active than younger women.
- And a study of sleep and sex in college students finds that every extra hour of sleep is linked to an improved libido, as well as a 14% increase in having sex the next day.
To boost your sex life by improving sleep this year, experts recommend:
- Working on sleep hygiene - This includes preparing yourself and your bedroom for good sleep, which means keeping the room dark and cool and not having blue light distractions such as TVs and smartphones.
- Plan to disengage your mind - “Stop the work and prepare for relaxation,” Zee advises. “Stop being engaged mentally about an hour before you go to bed so that you can be more relaxed and ready for sleep.”
- Have sex - Experts say it’s good for sleep and can release hormones and neurotransmitters that promote sleep.
- Work with your sleep chronotype - Being an early bird who’s asleep by 9:30 when your partner’s a night owl who’s up late, can negatively impact your sex life. But if you’re aware of your chronotype and your partner’s, you can do things to adjust to match each other’s preferences.
- Remember good sleep and good sex take practice - And both are worth working for.
Read the article at CNN
