How Sex Can Improve Your Sleep Quality

How Sex Can Improve Your Sleep Quality

A recent study into sleep quality surveyed a team of doctors about how to improve our quality of sleep, and as an extension; our quality of life. It is a well-known fact that if we do not get enough sleep we are putting our health at risk. The recommended amount of sleep is 7-8 hours per night, and if we do not get this much sleep we are opening ourselves up to a whole host of issues such as low energy levels, mood swings, depression and an inability to concentrate. According to another study only 21% of UK adults are getting enough sleep, with a huge percentage getting 5 hours or less per night! With these statistics in mind we need to ensure that the time we spend in bed is as peaceful and restful as possible. If you’ve got a limited amount of hours available for rest you really need to do everything within your power to make sure that those hours are of the best quality.

A third of the doctors interviewed as part of the study said that they had seen a marked rise in patients coming to them with sleep problems since the start of the recession. The general population clearly have a lot on their minds right now as people take pay freezes, lose their jobs and their homes…it’s hardly a surprise really.

Interestingly, one in six of the doctors said that they believed strongly in the power of sex before bedtime to aid in restful sleep, and curiously the demographic who suggested sex as a treatment for insomnia were predominantly doctors over the age of 55. It can’t hurt to test the theory can it! Trying sex as a way of winding down before bed couldn’t be easier; just get into bed 30 minutes before you usually fall asleep and get busy in relaxing positions such as spooning! Orgasms release a cocktail of feel good chemicals into the blood which lift the mood and allow us to feel relaxed and ready to nod off.

It is also important to note that 38% off the doctors also suggested that separate beds would increase ones quality of sleep as it removes that chance that couples will disturb each other during the night by hogging the duvet, snoring and popping to the loo. Personally I cannot entertain the idea of sleeping in a different bed than my fiancé; however I must admit that my quality of sleep goes up slightly when he is away from our bed for the night!

Kristina Shafarenko

Kristina Shafarenko is a relationship and health and wellness psychologist and a part-time freelance lifestyle writer covering health and fitness, sex, sexual wellness, and relationships. When she's not writing, you can find her planning her next getaway, taste-testing every coffee spot in sight, and lounging at home with her cat, Buddy.

Latest from Lifestyle