London – An extra hour in bed won’t just lift your mood – it could also raise your libido, researchers claim.
A study found that women’s sex drive was stronger when they slept for longer.
Those who had a lie-in were more likely to have sex, with each extra hour making a difference.
The US researchers asked 170 young women to fill in a series of questionnaires on waking up each day for a fortnight.
The women said that their sex drive was higher after sleeping longer. And analysis revealed that every extra hour of sleep increased their odds of having sex in the next 24 hours by 14 percent.
This statistic could not simply be explained away by the women being in a better mood after sleeping longer. Or by those who didn’t get enough sleep being extra-tired.
The University of Michigan researchers said that lack of sleep may affect levels of sex hormones.
Writing in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, they said: ‘Though the specific underlying mechanisms are unknown, it appears that sleep loss begets poorer sexual desire and reduced sexual activity.
‘Good sleep is important for maintaining healthy sexual functioning. Clinicians may consider assessing patients’ sleep habits and insomnia symptoms as potential factors influencing sexual difficulties.’’
Researcher David Kalmbach said it is likely that lack of sleep harms men’s sex lives too.
He added: ‘Overall, more research is needed in this area for both men and women, as the intersection between sex and sleep has not received much attention.’
Dr Pam Spurr, a relationship expert and agony aunt, said: ‘I work with many sleep deprived people and it can bring them to their knees. Sex becomes the last thing on their mind even if they’re in a loving relationship. I recommend they strive to place quality sleep at the top of their priority list.’
Daily Mail