The joyous sexual assaults of your partner (and yours!) are only a distant memory, and you put this down to daily worries, children or wear and tear? What if it was something else entirely? Because according to Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine in Chicago, there is one aspect that we forget a little too quickly in this story of libido: sleep.
Watch the way you spend your nights
The expert thus recalled an essential in the media
CNN : sleep and its quality have a direct impact on your sex life.
“Don’t just say ‘My partner isn’t interested’, or ‘I’m getting older, that’s just the way it is’. Look at yourself, your sleeping habits and think about your partner’s too. she advises, before launching into some introspection.
As proven, poor sleep is directly linked to inadequate levels of sex hormones, such as testosterone. And that concerns everyone.
Good sleep is correlated with better sexuality
“Libido is linked to testosterone in both men and women. Testosterone increases libido,” explains Dr. Zee. “Testosterone begins to increase around 3 or 4 a.m. and peaks in the morning. Studies have shown that if you have disrupted sleep, these levels drop.”
She’s not the only one to say it. According to a study conducted by the Menopause Society in 2017, women over 50 who slept less than seven to eight hours a night were less likely to report being sexually active than younger women. This problem worsens with age, as sleep becomes more valuable. In fact, women over 70 who slept less than five hours a night were 30 percent less likely to be sexually active than women who slept seven to eight hours, according to this study.
Another 2021 analysis found that sleep-deprived men had lower testosterone levels. Another study found that men with disrupted sleep had both lower testosterone levels and higher amounts of the stress hormone cortisol.
But when sleep becomes a priority, sex life can improve. A 2015 study on college students’ sleep and sexuality found that each additional hour of sleep correlated with improved libido, better vaginal lubrication, and a 14 percent increase in sex the next day.
Better in your pajamas, better under the duvet
If you want your libido to return, there’s nothing better than taking care of your sleep hygiene! To do this, plan for sufficiently long periods of rest, keep the bedroom cool and dark, and turn off screens one hour before bedtime. Also avoid eating or drinking about three hours before going to bed (especially alcohol), which will wake you up in the middle of the night. Dr Zee also recommends calming music, yoga or meditation or a hot shower to relax. A health approach which can, in any case, trigger a virtuous circle. Because, as Ian Kerner, a couples therapist who also works in the media, reminds us, “sex is good for sleep. Orgasms release hormones and neurotransmitters that promote sleep, so good sex promotes sleep.”
Sleep more, you will have more lively nights!