Sleep Deprivation - Does It Impact Sex Life?

Sleep deprivation can lead to mood swings, along with decreased levels of concentration; and a person lacking sleep may easily feel annoyed or irritated. Apart from affecting your memory, health and looks, sleep deprivation can lead to decreased sex function as well. People who have trouble sleeping have a difficult time coping with their relationships as with almost all aspects of their lives.

The following are some of the ways chronic sleep disorders may affect your sex life.

1. Reduced energy levels - Lack of sleep can lead to reduced levels of energy and fatigue. Depletion of energy, in turn, can lead to perpetual tiredness, which may ultimately cause a person to have lower libido and interest in sexual intercourse. Some men suffer from sleep apnea, which is a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep. A 2002 study showed that sleep apnea causes lower levels of testosterone in men.
2. Mood swings - Sleep disorders often lead to perpetual mood swings. It can make a person grumpy and quarrelsome. If you're sleep deprived, you may get very agitated even by minor stress. This can hurt interaction between you and your partner, leading to a disruptive relationship in the bedroom.
3. Decreased social activity - Lack of sleep may decrease your likelihood of engaging in social interactions. People with sleep disorders usually avoid social engagements, as they believe it may disrupt their sleep patterns. They rearrange their sleeping patterns by avoiding social interactions, which leaves them with lesser opportunities to meet with people of the opposite sex, thereby affecting their sex lives.
4. Anxiety - Increased levels of anxiety and stress attributed to lack of sleep can lead to loss of sexual function and even sexual disorders at times. Lack of sleep generally decreases your experience of positive emotions, which may lead to pessimism and subsequently lack of sexual interest. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Sexologist.