The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seven or more hours of sleep for those aged between 18 and 60.
Who doesn't have a bad night of sleep from time to time? Our thoughts and other situations can keep us up at night, even if we don't want to, but it is recommended that adults sleep for at least seven hours. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seven or more hours of sleep for those between 18 and 60, 7-9 hours for those between 61 and 64, and 7-8hours for those who are 65 and above.
A new study on sleep has found something that women might already know about their bodies. Poor sleep was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and it was found that when older women consistently got bad sleep it leads to an unsatisfactory intimate life with their partner, according to CNN. The study found that women who didn't sleep enough were twice as likely to report a lack of interest in physical intercourse or lack of pleasure than women who got enough sleep.
It was also found that when people get good sleep they are likely to engage in more physical intercourse. The result "doesn't surprise anyone" said senior author Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who directs the Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health, to CNN. "If you put a platter of sleep and a platter of sex in front of a tired woman, she's going to pick sleep every time," said Faubion, who is also the medical director for the North American Menopause Society.
In their press release, the researcher said that sleep and sexual dysfunction are common in women during midlife with more than 26% experiencing symptoms of insomnia. Almost half the women going through menopause are likely going to experience sleep issues. Up to 43% of women also report problems in the bedroom during that period of their lives.
"In this study involving more than 3,400 women (mean age, 53 y), researchers evaluated potential associations between sleep quality and duration and sexual function using validated tools after accounting for factors that may influence both outcomes. They concluded that poor sleep quality, but not sleep duration, was associated with greater odds of female sexual dysfunction. Good sleep quality, in contrast, was linked with sexual activity," the press release read.
Faubion also added that this study should prompt doctors to start asking their patients about the quality of their sleep. "In an ideal world, every woman should be asked by her primary care provider about her sexual function. Is that happening? No, it's not happening," Faubion told CNN. "Sleep may be something easier to ask about, and poor sleep is associated with so many negative outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease," she added. "If she's not sleeping well, that leads you to the next question, because sexual function is probably suffering, too."
The effect of bad sleep is pretty universal since it affects men the same way. In 2009, a study title Sleep Apnea is an Independent Correlate of Erectile and Sexual Dysfunction found that obstructive sleep apnea is connected to erectile dysfunction and other sexual difficulties in men. Even when men didn't have broken sleep they could have a higher risk of erectile dysfunction.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
http://www.opapc.com/uploads/documents/PSQI.pdf
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/21/health/sleep-sex-dysfunction-women-wellness/index.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/tnam-agn042021.php
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01372.x
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by Ridofranz
Disclaimer : This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
