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As you wind down before bed, you tend to involve yourself in some nighttime routine to help you sleep better.
For most people, their go-to activities consist of the following:
- reading a good book
- having a warm shower
- talking to their partner to the brink of slumber
But for many, this doesn’t always work. As the hours go by and you’re still in a state of complete wakefulness, you may find yourself getting concerned at the thought of losing sleep.
If you’ve exhausted all other options and are looking for another way to sleep better, enter masturbating.
Masturbation is an activity that surprisingly comes with a number of benefits, from releasing stress to improving one’s own self-esteem.
But here comes the kicker: does masturbation make you tired?
Surprisingly, yes. Masturbation does help you fall asleep, believe it or not.
A study reported that 65% of participants who had an orgasm before going to bed reported better sleep quality.
It also comes with a slew of other benefits, such as:
- Reduced stress levels
- Strengthened pelvic floor muscles
- Increased confidence
- Increased sexual arousal
- Improved mood
So if you were blissfully unaware of the positives that masturbating can give you, we hope you try this new trick up your sleeve to aid you in falling asleep better.
But first, let’s dig into the science of why sex and masturbation make you feel sleepy. Furthermore, let’s also explore the benefits of masturbation as a whole.
How Masturbation Aids Your Sleep
First, it’s important to understand how orgasms in the male body function.
The big O doesn’t exclusively take place in the penis. An orgasm is an entire bodily function—involving several organs, blood vessels, nerves, brain chemicals, and hormones working together in conjunction with some form of sexual stimulation.
The result that comes after is the orgasm—a series of pleasurable penile contractions and the ejaculation of viscous, protein-rich fluid known as semen.
As this happens, there’s a simultaneous barrage of chemicals released to the body, namely oxytocin and prolactin. These hormones, according to a study published in Frontiers in Public Health, have all been linked to a good night’s sleep thanks to their calming effects on the body.
With this in mind, it’s important to consider the risks of masturbating too much.
Masturbation and Cortisol
As mentioned earlier, in order to attain high-quality sleep, our bodies should be able to enter a state of relaxation and calmness.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that prevents that. It’s often associated with our body’s fight or flight response, making our bodies feel more alert and restless.
Fortunately, research shows that masturbation and sexual intercourse inhibits the production of this stress-inducing hormone.
Cortisol is also often associated with a slew of health problems, from high blood pressure and fatigue to decreased bone density, so it’s always ideal to have a low count of cortisol in your body.
While it can be tempting to stroke the shaft immediately to reap its benefits, it’s important to ensure that you’re doing it right. In other words, don’t rush the process.
Instead, it’s important to remain patient and treat masturbation as a way of exploring your body. In doing so, you’ll reap the meditative qualities masturbation provides you, all the while helping you get in touch with your body.
In turn, this can bring you to a state of calmness, and eventually, a nice and peaceful slumber.
Testosterone and Sleep Quality
Testosterone is a necessary component for men when trying to achieve an orgasm. Without it (or by having too little levels of this hormone in your body), men will have too little libido and sexual desire to seek a sexual release.
While the more pressing significance of testosterone is obvious, did you know that a low testosterone levelcan impact sleep quality as well?
According to a study published in the National Institutes of Health, men with decreased T levels are more prone to experiencing nocturnal awakenings and less quality sleep due to worsened sleep cycles.
Thus, if you want to increase testosterone levels, you may benefit from partaking in any of the testosterone-boosting activities found below:
- Find ways to minimize stress in your daytime routine
- Take vitamin D or take a walk in sunlight more often
- Exercise regularly and lift weights
- Eat a diet rich in protein, carbs, and magnesium.
Alternatively, you may also seek professional medical advice from a trusted sex therapist to reinvigorate your erectile vitality.
Other Forms of Sleep Promoting Behavior
While masturbation and sexual activity are excellent ways to help you fall asleep, it’s not the only activity that has the same effect.
Here are some more ideas to help you sleep better.
Follow a Regular Sleep Schedule
Our bodies take less than a month to form a habit. So, it’s a good idea to fix our body clocks by getting into the habit of going to sleep and waking up at roughly the same time every day.
Consider setting an alarm to go off 15 minutes before you want to wake up so that it’s easier to wake up when your body is ready. This way, you’ll be ready to wake up when the alarm goes off.
Avoid Bright Lights Before Bedtime
One of the most significant environmental cues that tell our bodies it’s time to start preparing for sleep is darkness.
Thus, it’s important to avoid bright lights at least an hour before bedtime. Shut down your computer, tablet, and phone screens before you sleep. Also, try to keep your room as dark as possible when you’re trying to sleep.
Avoid Caffeine and Nicotine After 2 PM
While it may seem like an effective way to promote wakefulness, caffeine can interfere with sleep later in the day.
It takes about 6 hours for caffeine to be eliminated from your body, so make sure that you limit your intake only during the mornings as much as possible.
Pay Attention to Your Sexual Health
While it’s not the only solution, masturbating is a powerful tool to help you sleep better.
In performing the act, your body:
- Releases sleep-positive chemicals to the body
- Inhibits the production of chemicals that causes us to stay awake longer.
So if you ever find yourself in a state of sleeplessness, consider masturbation. You’ll sleep like a baby in no time.
Having difficulty maintaining an erection or lasting longer in bed?
Contact the team at Prime Men’s Medical Center in Jacksonville now to schedule an appointment to have a consultation with their experienced and specially trained medical staff about your sexual health. We are Jacksonville’s leading men’s clinic providing ED therapy, low testosterone therapy, Acoustic Wave therapy, hormone therapy, and much more.
