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Scientists confirm sex makes you sleep better and wake up happier [1]

['Ellsworth Toohey']

Date: 2025-05-28

If you're looking for a natural way to improve your sleep, research points to an enjoyable solution: sex before bedtime.

A new study from Central Queensland University found that on nights when participants had sex or masturbated, they experienced less nighttime wakefulness (16 minutes) compared to nights without sexual activity (23 minutes). Sleep efficiency – the percentage of time in bed actually spent sleeping – improved from 91.5% on no-sex nights to 93.4% after partnered sex.

Yes, participants went to bed about 30 minutes later on nights they had sex, but it didn't reduce their total sleep time. The real benefit showed up the next morning – after partnered sex, people reported feeling significantly more ready and motivated for the day compared to mornings after no sexual activity.

The researchers discovered something else intriguing: When couples shared a bed, their REM sleep patterns synchronized – whether or not they had sex. This suggests simply sleeping next to your partner might influence your sleep patterns.

"The findings support previous subjective evidence indicating sexual activity resulting in an orgasm has positive outcomes on subsequent sleep behavior and mood the following day," concludes lead researcher Michele Lastella, PhD.

Key takeaway: While the sleep improvements were modest, the study suggests sexual activity before bed could contribute to both better sleep quality and improved next-day energy.

Previously:

• 'Catching up' on lost sleep may actually do more harm than good

• This short film gives a sense of how terrifying sleep paralysis can be

• Sleep is a brain-repair mechanism, new study proves

• Inside a sleep pod in a Japanese railway station

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/05/28/scientists-confirm-sex-makes-you-sleep-better-and-wake-up-happier.html

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