Female Libido And Quality Of Sleep

While we all hear plenty about the male sex drive from TV, radio, and internet articles, the other side is often left out. That's right: the female sex drive doesn't get as much attention, and that's a problem. Why? Without equal time given to addressing both the male and female libido, many people might get the impression that most women don't have libidinal issues, or that if they do, they're abnormal. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Lots of women have problems with their sex drive, and understanding that is the first step to treating them.

But what causes boosts or dips in the libido? Well, the fact is that the female libido – like its male counterpart – is complex and affected by a variety of different factors, in many cases more than one at any time. While most might think these only include larger issues like hormone imbalances and genetics, the fact is that the sex drive can be affected by everyday things, including that one important part of life that we commonly overlook: sleep.

See, sleep isn’t just something you “do,” it’s a fundamental part of what keeps us healthy, and it’s good for more than simply resting the body and mind. Lots of things happen inside of each and every one of us during the sleep process, including memory cataloguing, sweeping the brain clean of built-up metabolic waste, and increasing the number of white blood cells in the body. The body repairs itself faster, secretes growth hormone – the list of things that go on in the body during sleep could fill several volumes.

Now of course we all know that sleep is important, but that doesn’t mean we get the sleep we need. Whether we’re staying up late at night for social engagements, drinking coffee late in the day, or getting woken up in the middle of the night, people (especially in the Western world) often end up not getting enough sleep. There’s also the problem of having poor quality sleep, and these can include having a poor diet, not getting enough exercise, drinking too much alcohol, or sleeping in a chaotic environment.

Believe it or not, these problems can affect your sex drive. How? Let’s look at some of the main reasons.

• Fatigue. When people don’t get enough sleep, they don’t have a lot of energy or stamina. Needless to say, sexual intercourse requires a certain amount of energy to perform, and if you’re running on fumes, you’re not going to be very interested in it.

• Anxiety. A lack of sleep can also lead to feelings of anxiousness, including frustration over not being able to sleep as well as other things, such as higher blood pressure and increased levels of cortisol – the “stress” hormone. When you’re anxious, you can’t relax, and when you can’t relax, you can’t get “in the mood.”

• Bad moods. Sleep deprivation can lead to changes in mood, particularly in the negative. People who suffer from a lack of sufficient sleep commonly show mood swings, short tempers, and irritability – and just in case you were wondering, all three of those things are major turn-offs. As a result, people whose mood suffers from sleeplessness not only find themselves less in the mood to have sex, but other people are going to be less inclined to sleep with them.

And the list goes on. Clearly, there’s a connection between the sleep you’re getting and your sex drive, so if you’ve recently found yourself with a decreased appetite for sex, you might want to take a look at your lifestyle for starters and see whether sleep might have anything to do with it. If you’re not getting the sleep you need, you might have the answer – or at least part of it.

The good thing is that, if sleeplessness is the culprit, there are steps you can take to remedy it. Reducing caffeine intake, taking stressors out of your life, cutting back on drinking, and getting exercise can all help improve your sleep quality. If it’s an environmental thing, take steps: put up light-blocking curtains in your room, switch out your mattress for a more comfortable one, or use a sound machine to block out or tone down exterior noises if you live in a high-traffic place such as a city.

Now don’t get us wrong, fixing your sleep schedule won’t solve everything for you. Your sleep quality isn’t the only thing that affects your sex drive. Far from it. But it can be a major contributing factor, and by dealing with it sensibly, you can ensure that you’re not just doing right by your body, but making sure your sex drive is functioning and its healthy, optimum best. And that’s exactly where we should all want to be.