Why Orgasming Before Bed Can Help People Fall Asleep Faster, Deeper
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Sex might be a taboo topic, but going by the swiftly escalating rates of urban sleepnessness worldwide, sleep is assuming the form of a rare indulgence. Turns out “the relationship between sex and sleep is bidirectional,” as clinical psychologist Michael Breus wrote. Indeed, getting it on before sleep — and orgasming, particularly — can make one snooze faster and deeper, science says.
“I have a demanding schedule… I fall asleep easily because I’m already so tired by the time my head hits the pillow, but my sleep isn’t always restful, and when I wake up in the mornings, I don’t feel refreshed,” says Rita, a woman living in Singapore, adding: “However, when I make love and have had an orgasm, I find that I do sleep better — for instance, I don’t toss and turn during the night. And, when I wake up, I feel like I got a good night’s rest. It’s a bit like after I’ve done a yoga class — my body just feels so calm and relaxed.”
A study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research this January, concluded that “sexual activity and intimacy may improve sleep and overall well-being in both men and women.” The study focused primarily on the benefits of orgasms stemming from partnered sex, noting that intercourse without orgasms or masturbation didn’t have nearly the same effect on sleep.
Past research, however, has indicated that orgasms — regardless of whether it is achieved through masturbation or partnered sex — can improve the quality of sleep. In fact, one article even refers to “nightly masturbation as a stand-in antidepressant” and another calls orgasms “the best, easiest, and quickest sleep hack there is.”
“When you have an orgasm, you release a cocktail of hormones that helps you feel relaxed and sleep better. Think of this cocktail as the body’s natural sleep remedy,” says Rebecca Alvarez Story, a sexologist. “First, endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing hormones, activate the body’s opiate receptors which make you feel happier and more relaxed. Then hormones like vasopressin and oxytocin counteract stress hormones and help you fall asleep faster. Norepinephrine and serotonin help your body get into a flow of REM sleep cycles to help you stay asleep.”
That is, the neurochemical changes our bodies undergo during an orgasm are responsible for improved sleep quality — by reducing stress and anxiety, and inducing feelings of relaxation and contentment, that come together to facilitate a seamless transition to sleep.
However, given that we live an age where hustle culture is glorified, and people are conditioned into believing they must work round-the-clock to taste sucess, one might be too exhausted to indulge in sexual activities when it’s time to finally retire for the day. While that’s perfectly natural, Martha Tara Lee, a clinical sexologist, believes it’s important to make an effort anyway.
“A good, healthy sex life doesn’t just happen; you need to be proactive in making it happen, and that means creating the time and having the energy for it,” she says, noting that “there seems to be this assumption that, to enjoy good sex or for sex to happen, one must be in the mood, that the sex should be spontaneous, or that our body clock must synchronise with our partner’s. That’s just not true. You might be a day person and your partner a night person, you might have a higher or lower sex drive compared to your partner, or you might have a different attitude towards spontaneity in sex.”
Given the growing body of research around the numerous benefits to having a healthy sexual life, it’s increasingly more important to reflect upon Lee’s advice.
Written by: Devrupa Rakshit on The Swaddle