Why Intimacy is Important for A Good Night’s Sleep
A good night’s sleep is the foundation for an energised and focussed day. And, we could all do with some decent shut-eye each night. Unfortunately, falling asleep and achieving seven to nine hours of restful bliss is a challenge many of us face.
Thankfully, there are many tips to improve your sleep quality and upgrade your sleep hygiene. One of the most effective methods is also one of the most natural – intimacy.
That’s right, whether you share a bed with someone or not, intimacy is an excellent way to relax your body so that you fall asleep faster than usual. How? The relaxation induced by intimacy releases certain hormones that promote sleepiness. So does that mean you should be having more sex? Not exactly.
Enjoying a healthy sex life and being intimate to improve your sleep quality doesn’t just mean having regular sex. Achieving healthy and regular sleep through intimacy goes much deeper than that.
Read below to discover the myriad ways you can improve sleep naturally through intimacy.
The Hormone Heroes Behind a Good Night’s Sleep
With good quality sleep being the key to many physical and mental health benefits, you might wonder how sex and other intimate actions can impact this so strongly. We’re no scientists, but we can assure you that intercourse leading to an orgasm releases hormones that encourage your body to fall asleep.
The fusion of prolactin, serotonin and oxytocin produced by an orgasm counteract your cortisol levels (stress hormones), helping you feel more calm, relaxed, and ultimately, sleepy. There are also hormones released from being intimate or close with your partner before bedtime, meaning sex isn’t the only solution!
However, the act of sex itself can also prepare your body for bedtime by reducing your sleep onset (the time it takes you to fall asleep). Sex, like any physical activity, is a form of exercise and is a well-known aid for falling asleep faster.
Physical acts like sex not only make it easier to fall asleep, but they also help you stay asleep during the night. The more energy your body burns while awake, the more it needs to replenish while you sleep. It follows that the more fatigued you are from physical activity such as sex, the more likely your body is to enter a deeper state of sleep to repair itself.
How to Sleep Better at Night Naturally with Intimate Acts
So you might be wondering, how can I use intimacy to improve my sleep quality?
As we stated, intimate acts that lead to orgasm are the ultimate way to reap the natural benefits of intimacy for sleep quality. If your bedroom is a party of one, masturbation is an excellent way to take advantage of the health benefits of sex for your sleep. We recommend checking out Nourished Life’s supply of sexual health and personal care tools to support you in this endeavour.
Worry not if your intimacy doesn’t always lead to an orgasm. Like we said before, and as many experts agree, intimate acts themselves are just as important as the outcomes for your sleep quality.
The Circadian Rhythm
Orgasms from intimacy aren’t the only solution for improving your sleep naturally. Massages from a partner or on your own are another intimate solution for encouraging sleepiness. In addition to releasing any tension in your body, making you limp and ready for lying down to sleep, massages also relieve stress and anxiety, which prohibit your much-needed shut-eye.
Intimacy can also be the closeness and trust you share with your partner before bed, a vital element for a good night’s sleep. Learning to put your devices down at night and just be present for a chat, snuggle, or something more intimate is some of the easiest ways to naturally improve sleep quality.
Removing screens from your bedtime routine can also help maintain your circadian rhythm. Our brain’s internal clock system, the circadian rhythm tells your body when to sleep based on cues sent from the darkness.
The Symbiotic Relationship Between Sleep and Intimacy
A domino effect also occurs between your personal habits and sleep quality. The better your quality of sleep, the better your quality of intimate acts.
We all know exhaustion isn’t anyone’s first choice when it comes to bed partners. To avoid the dreaded sleep hangover, take a holistic approach to rest (7-9 hours). Sleeping in comfortable bedding, accompanied by a nutritiously-full and positive day, can help you enable the cyclical relationship between your intimate life and sleep patterns.
Start experimenting with which intimate acts will help you get a better night’s sleep today. Always remember, trying to force intimacy when you’re not in the mood can have the reverse effects on your sleep. When using intimacy to improve your sleep quality, find a balance between what the science says and what feels right for you (and your partner) in the moment.
Please note: This article is not to be used as medical advice. If you have any worries about your sleep health, speak to a medical professional. This article may contain affiliate links.
Nourished Life
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