Sleep is vital for your well-being—it even benefits your sex drive. So how does masturbation help you sleep better?
Why and how does masturbation help you sleep easier?
In a world where sleep has become an increasingly elusive luxury, people are looking for clues to help them fall asleep faster and get more quality sleep. Developing good habits, such as winding down and waking up at the same time every day, leaving your phone outside your bedroom, and switching off your screens at least an hour before bed are all sound practices for good sleep hygiene. But did you also know that masturbation can help you sleep faster?
Insomnia has become a public health problem
The National Sleep Foundation defines insomnia as “difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so.”
If you’re struggling to get your nightly shuteye, you’re not alone. About 60 million Americans experience symptoms of insomnia. Studies suggest that up to 50% of the world’s population struggles with insomnia. It affects so many people that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have now categorized insomnia as a public health problem.
More and more people are considering sleep an elusive luxury
But getting 7-9 hours of rest each night “is not a luxury—it’s a necessity,” says sleep expert Nancy Rothstein. “Without proper rest, the negative consequences are significant. Your performance, health, decision-making abilities, relationships, mood, and much more can suffer.”
With much more, Rothstein might mean your sex drive. Not sleeping enough affects your hormones. Most of all, it decreases testosterone, the most important male sex hormone.
Sex—the unexpected cure for sleeplessness?
So what can you do to restore your nightly slumber as well as your sex drive? You may already have tried everything—from installing black-out curtains to weaning yourself off coffee, from meditation to white-noise apps. All these hacks are valid, but did you know that sex and masturbation does help you sleep faster, too?
Masturbation helps you sleep by activating your parasympathetic nervous system
Focusing on fearful thoughts keeps you in fight-and-flight mode, also know as the sympathetic nervous system. To activate its counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system, you need to relax. And what better way to get out of your head and into your body than self-pleasure?
One study found that during orgasms, participants disconnected from their negative emotions. After scanning brain function during orgasm, researchers found that the area of the brain responsible for governing fear and anxiety was turned off. So masturbation does help you sleep by easing your anxiety.
How exactly does masturbation help you sleep faster?
The reason why sex and masturbation help you sleep is a powerful cocktail of mood-altering substances released during orgasm. Melinda Wenner broke down the latest findings in a report for NYU’s ScienceLine:
“Research shows that during ejaculation, men release a cocktail of brain chemicals, including norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nitric oxide, and the hormone prolactin. The release of prolactin is linked to the feeling of sexual satisfaction, and it also mediates the ‘recovery time’ that men are well aware of.”
During sleep, prolactin levels in our bodies are naturally higher. This suggests a strong link between prolactin and sleep. Women, too, sometimes feel sleepy after sex. However, the phenomenon does seem more pronounced in men.
Endorphins released during masturbation help you sleep soundly
Serotonin, oxytocin, and vasopressin are feel-good-hormones that reduce stress. When released during orgasm, they make you feel safe, relaxed, and happy. And these hormones are also associated with sleep. Their release frequently accompanies that of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our body clocks. In addition, oxytocin is thought to relieve stress, which again could result in relaxation and sleepiness.
Masturbation helps you sleep faster and supports good sleep hygiene
Dr. Nicole Prause led a study with 300 participants, during which over 200 of them felt that orgasm during masturbation helped them sleep.
Orgasms might not give you a better quality of sleep, but they can help you fall asleep faster.
“It might also just be part of good sleep hygiene, where you get used to going to bed soon after orgasm, so orgasm becomes a simple, strong cue to your body to go to sleep,” concludes Prause.
So all that’s left for you to do now is to commit to a nightly masturbation practice and you’ll soon find yourself drifting off to dreamland.
Schedule your solo-sex dates as you would any other date
Does it make sense to schedule masturbation to help you sleep faster? Absolutely. Put it on your calendar as a non-negotiable self-care. We schedule so many things in our lives, why not schedule some stress-reducing, sleep-improving, happiness-making form of self-love, too?
So what are you waiting for? Schedule 30 minutes of nightly masturbation to help you sleep faster. Set an alarm if you need a reminder. Skip surfing the internet or watching TV and prioritize your health. This way, you’ll make self-pleasure an intrinsic part of your night-time routine.
Masturbation with sex toys helps you sleep and adds adventure
Try something new by adding a sex toy or two into your routine. Sex toys are a thrilling addition to every man’s self-pleasure routine. Using them will help you keep masturbation for inducing sleep interesting and exciting. If you’re searching for a truly mind-blowing experience, try one of these.
Does masturbation help you sleep? What you need to remember
Although there’s no solid scientific evidence that masturbation can cure chronic insomnia, orgasm is proven to release a powerful cocktail of hormones that trigger sleepiness—especially in men.
Many insomniacs, who have tried everything without success, swear by the sleep-inducing benefits of self-pleasure. So yes, masturbation does help you sleep. And making it a habit will consistently inform your brain that it’s time to nod off.
But masturbation not only helps you sleep faster—a more fulfilling sex life and new types of orgasm are great side-effects too. And who knows—your subconscious mind might just reward you with some sexy dreams. What’s not to love?
Further articles
At times when everything seems to be going wrong in our lives and there’s no help in sight – what should you do? Take a long bubble bath or perhaps some deep breaths? But do these small actions really magically transform the world to seem like a better place again? As if! Countless self-love tips are simply nonsense! An opinion piece.