From Denise Mann
HealthDay reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Good sleep may be the best recipe for sexual satisfaction for older women, according to a new study.
Women who didn’t routinely get restful sleep were almost twice as likely to report sexual problems such as lack of desire or arousal, researchers found.
“Sexual dysfunction … is defined as the presence of sexual problems associated with stress, and this relationship has been seen between poor sleep quality and higher risk of problems in all areas of sexual function, including desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, Satisfaction and pain. ” said the study author Dr. Juliana Kling. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Chair of Internal Medicine for Women’s Health at Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale.
The researchers couldn’t say how or if sleep problems cause sexual problems, or vice versa.
“Poor quality of sleep can have a negative impact on health and lead to daytime symptoms such as poor concentration and tiredness. [which] can adversely affect sexual function, “said Kling.” Alternatively, it is plausible that the personal stress associated with sexual dysfunction may contribute to impaired sleep quality. “
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The study included more than 3,400 women with an average age of 53 years. Of these women, 75% had poor sleep quality and 54% reported sexual dysfunction (measured with validated research instruments). The women were also asked to rate their degree of distress over or lack of sex life.
Women who reported poor sleep were more likely to have sexual dysfunction, even after the researchers adjusted for other factors known to affect sleep and sex, such as menopausal status. Women in the study who regularly slept less than five hours a night were also more likely to report sexual problems, but this was not considered statistically significant.
Optimizing the quality of sleep can improve your sex life, Kling suggested.
“Good sleep hygiene is recommended after your doctor examines you for sleep-related breathing disorders or other medical problems that could affect sleep,” she said. This includes avoiding caffeine after noon, sticking to a strict bedtime and schedule, and not using your phone or computer in bed.
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The study was recently published online for menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society.
Jennifer Martin is Professor of Medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She said, “There is very little research on sleep and sexual health, especially in women, and this study goes a long way toward helping us understand the negative effects of insomnia.”
The first step is to see a doctor about the sexual dysfunction to rule out any underlying and potentially treatable causes, said Martin, who was not involved in the new study.
See a sleep specialist if you experience poor sleep during the day, last three months or more, and occur at least three times a week, she advised.
Sleep disorders are treatable, said Martin. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps change the thoughts and behaviors that keep you from sleeping, is especially effective for insomnia, the most common sleep disorder in women, she added.
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More information
Learn more about insomnia and its treatments at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
SOURCES: Dr. Juliana Kling, Associate Professor, Medicine, and Chair, Internal Medicine for Women’s Health, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona; Jennifer Martin, PhD, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles; Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, April 19, 2021, online
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