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When we sleep longer, we feel more energetic, happier and we become more productive. A recent study adds another benefit to sleeping well: better sex. So ladies, maybe the answer to low desire is to sleep it off.
According to the study, young female participants had an increased desire regarding sexual intercourse if they had slept longer the night before.
Women who managed to sleep an additional hour had a 14 percent higher likelihood to have intercourse with their partner the following day. The study also found that women who slept longer at night reported better genital arousal compared to those who had shorter sleep periods.
Lead author David Kalmbach pointed out that the results did not necessarily imply to sleep as much as possible. The correct approach would be to get a healthy amount of sleep in order to maintain sexual health. He added that the study rather indicates that “insufficient sleep can decrease sexual desire and arousal for women”. He added:
“I think the take-home message should not be that more sleep is better, but that it is important to allow ourselves to obtain the sleep that our mind and body needs.”
The study included 171 female participants. All of them were college students, about 20 years old, with half of them stating they were in a committed relationship. All participants were asked to complete a daily online questionnaire regarding sexual mood, sexual function and sleeping patters over a period of 14 days.
The team did take into account other factors that could influence sexual desire such as the woman’s general well-being, menstruation and the use of oral contraceptives.
The study showed an average sleep period of 7 hours and 22 minutes with 20 percent of participants reporting increased levels of “sexual distress”.
A surprising result was the fact that women reported better vaginal lubrication and arousal after sleeping less the night before but women who generally slept sufficiently had better genital arousal compared to those who did not sleep enough.
The team believes that sleeping insufficiently a single night could temporarily increase libido but being chronically sleep deprived will surely affect one’s sexual arousal.
The research’s results sustain previous studies that concluded sleep deprivation (characterized by poor or interrupted patterns) affects men’s libido as it lowers testosterone levels.
Image Source: Chatelaine
