Forbes Innovation Healthcare Study: Having Sex Before Bed May Improve Sleep Quality, But Here Are Caveats
Key Highlights :
Having a good night's sleep is essential for a person's overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, many people struggle to get the rest they need, leading to fatigue, irritability, and a lack of concentration. A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that those who had sex with a partner and an orgasm tended to fall asleep faster and have better quality sleep. This research suggests that having sex before bed may be a useful tool to improve sleep quality. However, there are several caveats to consider.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, included 224 participants, the majority of whom were undergraduate psychology students. Participants first completed an initial set of questionnaires that asked them about their sleep-related and sex-related habits and their perceptions about how these two sets of things were related. Then, for 14 consecutive days, they completed a sleep and sex diary.
The results of the study showed that partnered sex with an orgasm was associated with decreased sleep latency (the time between going to bed and actually falling asleep) and increased sleep quality. Interestingly, masturbation did not seem to be associated with either of these sleep benefits regardless of whether an orgasm resulted.
While this study suggests that having sex before bed may be a useful tool to improve sleep quality, there are several caveats to consider. First, the study was conducted with a very specific population of students from a specific Dutch university. It is not clear how broadly applicable these results may be to other populations. Moreover, the study participants kept diaries for only a span of 14 days, which is not long enough to understand the relationship between sexual activity and sleep. Finally, people may not behave as they normally do when participating in a study, and the study design itself could have affected participants’ sexual and sleep behaviors.
In conclusion, a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that those who had sex with a partner and an orgasm tended to fall asleep faster and have better quality sleep. This research suggests that having sex before bed may be a useful tool to improve sleep quality. However, due to the limited scope of the study and the potential for the study design to affect participants’ behaviors, more research is needed to understand the relationship between sexual activity and sleep.
