In fact, women who slept poorly were almost twice as likely to report issues such as lack of sexual interest or pleasure than women who slept a lot, according to the study published Wednesday in Menopause is: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society. .
In contrast, the study also found that good sleep quality was linked to more sexual activity, a result that ‘no one is surprised, right?’ has senior author dr. Stephanie Faubion said, who runs the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health.
“If you put a bowl and a bowl of sex in front of a tired woman, she goes to bed every time,” said Faubion, who is also medical director of the North American Menopause Association.
These results, she adds, should be a wake-up call for doctors to start asking their patients about their sleep and their sexual functioning.
“In an ideal world, every woman should be questioned by her primary caregiver about her sexual function. Does it happen? No, it does not happen,” Faubion said.
“Sleep can be something easier to ask about, and poor sleep is associated with so many negative outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease,” she added. “If she does not sleep well, it leads you to the next question, because sexual function probably suffers as well.”
Sleep and sex are intertwined
It is not just women who experience sexual dysfunction due to poor sleep. It also affects men.
However, there are a number of reasons that good sex is linked to better sleep.
Not only do orgasms relax, which can promote drowsiness, but it leads to a boost of certain hormones that help sleep in men and women after sex.
Study first to ask about distress
In the new study, more than 3,400 women who visited Mayo health clinics in Rochester, Minnesota and Scottsdale, Arizona completed sleep quality questionnaires between December 2016 and September 2019.
The women, who were on average 53 years old, also underwent clinical evaluation for sexual dysfunction and were asked to rate their distress over their sex lives – a first for a study of this kind, Faubion said.
“You can’t call it sexual dysfunction unless a woman is worried about it,” she said. “For example, a woman may have a low sexual desire, but it may not bother her. So we are the first study to my knowledge that looked not only at sexual function, but also at it.”
In addition to the poor quality of sleep, the new study found that women who regularly slept less than five hours a night were also more likely to report sexual problems.
However, the results were not statistically significant, after analyzing factors such as age, status, education, race / ethnicity, body mass index, stage of reproduction, depression, anxiety, relationship distress, and contraceptive use and other medications.
Since all these factors can disrupt sleep, it was important to eradicate those who label poor sleep as the possible cause, Faubion said.
What to do?
At first, do not hesitate to discuss sleep and sexual problems with your doctor, Faubion said.
Although most women will be able to identify that they are suffering from a mood disorder such as depression or anxiety, they may not realize that they are struggling with other problems such as sleep apnea or an uncontrollable urge to call your legs.
“Women’s partners can help them identify if they are snoring, snoring and coughing or if they are kicking their partner all night,” Faubrion said.
Women can also do their best to practice good sleep hygiene. Here are some expert tips:
Practice, if possible outdoors. Try to exercise, which reduces built-in stress chemicals and promotes better sleep. Try doing it outside – the sunlight can restore your body clock.
Set up your bedroom for optimal sleep. One of the first tasks is to set up your sleeping environment and set up a relaxing routine for bedtime. The REM stage of sleep is a lighter level of rest that can be interrupted more easily, so strive for little noise, little light and cooler temperature in the bedroom – between 60 and 67 degrees is best.
Keep an eye on your diet. Avoid caffeine after 3pm and greasy, spicy foods before going to bed so that your stomach does not wake you up while dreaming.
Set yourself up for relaxation. Taking a hot bath or shower, reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating or doing light stretching are all great options.