Sleep longer for better sex, researchers advise women

The longer women sleep, the more likely they are to want and enjoy sex, according to a research conducted by the North American menopause society.

According to the study, sleep problems can interfere with a woman’s level of sexual satisfaction.

Data analysed for 93,668 women aged 50 to 79 years showed that short sleep duration was associated with lower odds of sexual satisfaction.

Short sleep duration was defined as fewer than 7 to 8 hours per night.

56% of the participants reported being somewhat or very satisfied with their current sexual activity while 52% reported partnered sexual activity within the last year. Insomnia prevalence was 31%.

Older women were less likely to be sexually active if they slept fewer than 7 to 8 hours per night compared with younger women.

Women aged older than 70 years who slept fewer than 5 hours were 30% less likely to be sexually active than women sleeping 7 to 8 hours.

“Women and healthcare providers need to recognise the link between menopause symptoms and inadequate sleep and their effects on sexual satisfaction,” said JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director.

“There are effective treatment options to help with sleep disruption and sexual satisfaction, including hormone therapy, which this study confirmed to be effective at menopause for symptomatic women.”

According to the research, sleep disturbance is common for many women during menopause, creating an array of adverse health outcomes such as heart disease, hypertension, and depression.