When it comes to sex, size does matter. You heard me right!
Oh by the way it’s not what you think!
The brain is actually your primary sexual organ and sleep has been known to affect the size of your brain.
It has been scientifically proven that quality sleep can promote a better sex life, and healthy sex life can facilitate improved sleep. Recognizing the connections between sleep and sex can create opportunities for enhancing each of these significant contributors to adult health.
The brain plays a vital role in releasing the necessary precursors and neurotransmitters and in regulating your overall arousal. Despite the major role that both sleep and sex have in overall wellness, the relationship between them has often been overlooked. Fortunately, though, expanding knowledge in health sciences has started to reveal an important, bidirectional link between sex and sleep. Sleep and sexuality are both complex and they involve both the mind and the body. Reviewing the basic elements of healthy sleep and sex enables a more well-rounded understanding of the relationship between them.
Sleep is essential for recuperation, and sleeping well requires getting a sufficient amount of rest, which is seven to nine hours per night for most adults. Some researchers conclude it is because sex boosts brain cell growth in areas of the brain associated with memory, while others suggest it’s because of the sexual “afterglow” that pumps us full of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.
Studies have shown that sex improves brain power and lack of sleep has been shown to diminish the size of your brain. As a matter of fact, when you do not sleep well, you do not produce enough testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone found in both men and women. In men, the testicles primarily make testosterone. Interestingly, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine showed that men that don’t sleep well have smaller testicles! Another indication that’s size does matter!!
Women’s ovaries also make testosterone, though in much smaller amounts. Lack of sleep leads to low sexual libido and poor sexual health in both men and women. The production of the hormone is at its peak only if you achieve deep restorative sleep. Lack of deep sleep (less than 5 hours sleep) in both the young generation of adults and the older ones will eventually lead to a drop in testosterone. ( we are already seeing this in our clinical practice . )
SLEEP & WEIGHT GAIN
Lack of testosterone contributes significantly to weight gain and poor cardiovascular health in men and women. It creates a vicious cycle in the fact that it drives the size of the brain. Studies have recently shown that people that are overweight tend to have smaller brains.
Studies have shown that people who are obese are more likely to report insomnia or trouble sleeping. Obesity is associated with increased daytime sleepiness and fatigue, even in people who sleep through the night undisturbed. Undoubtedly, there are many health conditions that can affect sleep, and some of them are found more often in individuals who are overweight or obese. In order to increase the quality of your health, taking enough sleep can help you lose weight.
Now, this is just one of the many habit changes and lifestyle changes that can be stacked to optimize your health for longevity and better living. For more on how you can lose weight, optimize your health, and live a healthy life, you can see more by going to www.drtosin.com.
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References
- Kalmbach DA, Arnedt JT, Pillai V, Ciesla JA. The impact of sleep on female sexual response and behavior: a pilot study. J Sex Med. 2015 May;12(5):1221-32. doi: 10.1111/jsm.12858. Epub 2015 Mar 16. PMID: 25772315.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). (2019, August 13). Brain basics: Understanding sleep. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/patient-caregiver-education/understanding-sleep
- Zhang W, Piotrowska K, Chavoshan B, Wallace J, Liu PY. Sleep Duration Is Associated With Testis Size in Healthy Young Men. J Clin Sleep Med. 2018;14(10):1757-1764. Published 2018 Oct 15. doi:10.5664/jcsm.7390
