- Research suggests having sex before bed can help you fall asleep.
- The key, however, is for both partners to reach orgasm.
- This releases the hormone oxytocin, which can influence sleep processes
Many people have a bedtime ritual that magically lulls them into a good night's sleep sleep. But there are some who still struggle to drift off, no matter what they try. If you fall into the latter category, and are in a consenting relationship, you might want to consider sex as a solution to your bedtime woes.
A new study from Australian sleep researcher Dr. Michele Lastella found that 64% of participants slept better when they had sex with their partner and an orgasm, The New York Post reports.
"There's strong evidence to suggest substituting screen time for play time," Lastella told Adelaide Now. "When you're engaging in sex, you're not thinking about what to do the next day, you're not going through your phones. It distracts you."
According to The Advertiser, Lastella surveyed 460 people between the ages of 18 and 70 and found that the two-thirds of people who slept better after sex did so when both partners reached orgasm.
"The project is based on some preliminary research evidence that, after humans have sex and achieve orgasm, we have a massive release of a hormone called oxytocin," Lastella said in a statement.
Oxytocin, sometimes referred to as "the love hormone," has been found to influence sleep processes and your dreams because of the relaxing endorphins. The same part of your brain that regulates your arousal also regulates your sleep-wake cycle, Psychology Today reports.
Although having sex at certain times can affect your mood and your sleep, sex should be for when you and your partner are in the mood. It might be worth testing this science out at home if you're also in the mood for some good shut-eye.
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