Sleep duration and quality affects sexual activity a study reveals

A number of studies have analyzed medical illness, relationships dissatisfaction as well as psychological disorders as reasons why women have problems with sex. However, until a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, sleep problems have been largely ignored as a factor of risk for sexual dysfunction.

Based on this study’s findings, researchers have concluded, “Future research may benefit from taking a more comprehensive approach to examining sleep parameters by using both subjective and objective measures. Additionally, the relationship between insomnia and sexual dysfunction may prove to be an overlooked and important area of interest for clinical research. Clinicians may consider assessing patients’ sleep habits and insomnia symptoms as potential factors influencing sexual difficulties.”

For this study, 171 healthy women were tracked and where almost half of them had at least one partner at the beginning. In order to avoid confusion with the results, the study did not use participants who had taken antidepressants recently.

The study itself consisted of questions that were asked everyday for about two weeks and involved eliciting information about their sexual activity as well as sleep quality.

In conclusion, the researchers found that good sleep is imperative to healthy sexual functioning. In fact, genital response, levels of desire and the likelihood of sexual activity are all predictable by nightly and habitual sleep duration.

Alternatively, the study found that acute sleep disturbance could contribute to sexual complaints as well as reduced sexual activity.

That said, in 2013, the journal Sleep attributed a night of sleep deprivation to changing men’s perceptions of women’s sexual interest and their intentions to have sex.