How Does Sleep Impact Sex Drive?

The Story

MyFitnessPal has found that sleep can impact our lives in a bunch of different ways. A new survey commissioned by the nutrition and diet tracking app has revealed some interesting connections between sleep and stress, focus, happiness, and sex.

The Snapshot

The main takeaway from the survey is that 41% of respondents said that their sleep has actually become worse in the last year, with women and those aged between 18 and 34 more likely to experience issues with getting a good night than any other demographic.

Sleep is clearly important, as 87% say good-quality sleep has an effect on overall happiness, health, relaxation, and focus, with 80% saying it positively impacts their sex drive. Those are big numbers.

The Lesson

“Modern life is always intensifying and there is certainly plenty to be anxious about and keep us up at night,” says Dr Chris Winter, neurologist and sleep specialist, and MyFitnessPal spokesperson. “Our rising consumption of processed foods is also playing a big part. Many people don’t realise that nutrition and sleep are interconnected — they expect that exercise helps, but good nutrition is also key.

“Health, sleep, happiness, weight — it’s all connected.” Dr Chris continues. “And once you start connecting the dots, things start to function well.”

So what Dr Chris is saying is that if you want to improve your sex drive, your sleep might be a good place to start. If you're looking to improve your sleep, these tips from Dr Chris are recommended:

• Find a cut off for caffeine consumption that works for you and stick to it
• Don’t go to bed hungry
• Try to stick to consistent meal times — don’t just eat when you can
• Heavy, spicy, and fatty foods late at night don’t usually provide the best night’s sleep
• Create circadian triggers for yourself. For example, if you drink a cup of camomile tea and honey 30 minutes before bed, that will send a trigger to your brain that it’s nearing sleep time
• Find a sleep ritual that works for you — even if it involves watching a bit of TV before bed. There’s no one size fits all.

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