Is sex more effective than sleeping pills for falling asleep and getting a good night’s sleep? Yes confirms our sex therapist. And here’s why.
On average, an adult should sleep eight hours a night. But, in reality, caught in the whirlwind of everyday life, it is rare that we reach this sleep quota. To sleep better without resorting to sleeping pills, several methods are mentioned: fall asleep at set times, practice regular physical activity, avoid screens two hours before going to bed, do not consume stimulants after 5 p.m. However, having a healthy lifestyle is not always enough to promote sleep. There is a simple and effective way to increase your chances of quickly fall into the arms of Morpheus: make love. “When we make love, the body secretes many hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, prolactin or even endorphins, hormones of well-being, which have a anxiolytic, analgesic and relaxing action“, immediately asks Louise Tocqueville, sex therapist.
The hormones secreted during love have an anxiolytic action
At the same time, other hormones like cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases sharply during sexual intercourse, which promotes relaxation and falling asleep. “An explosive cocktail that will put us in a state of calm and bliss, which promotes sleep. Like after a good workout!“, argues the specialist.”There is also the whole context in which sexual relations take place. If the climate is one of sharing, of exchanging glances and hugs, this promotes well-being and security, elements conducive to sleep“, observes our interlocutor. Furthermore, sex allows you to anchor yourself in the present moment and to avoid ruminations.
Orgasm before sleeping helps you fall asleep
In any case, this is what a study carried out by a team of researchers from Oxford, published in the journal Sleep Research Society in May 2023 highlighted. Eager to question “the perceived impact of sex and orgasm on sleep in people with insomnia versus use of sleeping pills“, scientists report that “75% of respondents said they slept better after sex/Orgasm shortly before bedtime and the majority reported moderate improvement in their sleep on those nights.”
Finally, “sexual activity boosts self-esteem and self-confidence, questions the relationship with the body and with others, in the sense that there are many things that play out in the intimate“, explains Louise Tocqueville. It therefore represents a great way to feel valued and loved, which can only make it easier to fall asleep. As to best sexual positions to adopt to promote sleep, there are no restrictions but it is best to avoid the more acrobatic ones which tend to stimulate energy rather than calming. In other words, It’s better to favor simple positions!
Thanks to Louise Tocqueville, sex therapist in Bordeaux.