Good sleep leads to better sex, study finds

A good night’s sleep can perk up your sex life, and an active sex life can lead to good sleep, according to a new study.

According to the study, women over the age of 50 who get less than seven hours of sleep per night are less likely to be sexually active than younger, better rested women. The researchers found that a full night of good sleep can raise a person’s chances of having sex the following day by 14 percent.

“Women and healthcare providers need to recognize the link between menopause symptoms and inadequate sleep and their effects on sexual satisfaction,” said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society, which conducted the study.

Researchers studied data from more than 93,000 women aged 50 to 79, all of whom were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. They found that nearly half of women who got less than 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night reported being unsatisfied with their sex lives. About 48 percent had not had sex with a partner in the past year, NAMS said in a press release.

The amount of satisfying sex women had dropped the less sleep they got, according to the researchers. Those who suffered from sleep disorders like insomnia also showed lower rates of satisfying sexual activity.

“There are effective treatment options to help with sleep disruption and sexual satisfaction, including hormone therapy, which this study confirmed to be effective at menopause for symptomatic women,” Pinkerton said.

The study adds to previous research, which showed that men and women of all ages who suffer from sleep disorders tend to have less active sex lives. Other studies have also shown that rates of sexual dysfunction are higher in both men and women with sleep apnea.

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By Kyla Cathey, Earth.com Staff Writer

Credit: North American Menopause Society