A diminished sex drive may be linked with chronic oxygen deprivation in patients of obstructive sleep apnea, especially during episodes of obstructed breathing.
University of Louisville researchers found that after a week of being subjected to chronic oxygen deprivation (CIH), mice showed a 55% decline in their daily spontaneous erections. After five weeks of such exposure, average interval between mounting a mate increased 60-fold.
The study examined the behavioural and physiological effects in mice exposed to CIH for anywhere from five to 24 weeks. Control mice were kept under identical conditions, but were not subjected to nocturnal CIH.
In five out of seven mice tested, ejaculation did not occur at all, whereas in control mice the median time was only a few minutes, said Gozal.
The Simple Secret for More Sex
When women are rushed, sleep suffers — and so does your sex life
A recent survey of American women confirmed what most women already knew (and men suspected): They’re so rushed during the day that they don’t get enough sleep, and that means less sex for everyone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, women who are short on time first cut back on sleep and exercise. Next to suffer cutbacks: social life, healthy eating…and sex.
“This is the largest survey in the U.S. of women in all stages of their life,” says Dr. Meir Kryger, director of research and education of Sleep Medicine at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, CT. “It’s one of the first to take into account both biology and lifestyle.
“If poor sleep patterns are a daily occurrence for women, it severely impacts their energy towards sex in the bedroom — which is going to then affect men. It’s all interconnected, and recognizing the problem will help any relationship.”
Does this explain the “I’m too tired” excuse?
Clearly some women and men do say “I’m too tired” when they mean “I don’t want to”, “I’m too stressed”, “I have other things on my mind”, or “I’m annoyed with you”. What it means probably depends on the person. Often it is a way of getting out of sex without a confrontation — she could just be mad that you came home late and didn’t call or didn’t empty the dishwasher.
But the take-home message from this study should be that women (and likely men) are not getting enough sleep, bottom line, and that there are ways men and women, as partners, can improve this. Sleep has a very important effect — including having enough energy for sex as well as sexual performance, meaning orgasms for women and men, and erections for men.
Guys can always find time for sex. Why not women?
Men do not always budget time for sex, either; they may say that, but research shows that they don’t. Fatigue is a common reason that both men and women opt out of sex. Many people who deal with fatigue instead try to have sex in the morning when they may be less tired, if they tend to get more tired in the afternoon or evening. This may be a good solution for some men and their partners, too.
If more sleep equals more sex, what can men do to help women get more rest?
We know from years of research that even when couples start out in “equal” relationships, they tend over time to settle into more traditional roles, with women taking on more home and family tasks like homework, cooking, and cleaning, while men serve as breadwinners. Men may be able to ease their wife or girlfriend’s burden — and help her get more sleep — if they work with their partner to make the last few hours of the day more peaceful.
Here are some ideas:
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