The Sleep and Sex Survey: Relationships Between Sexual Function and Sleep
Apr 29, 2024 ● By Jerry Garcia, PA-C, and Raymond Wohl, BA, MA
Jerry Garcia, PA-C, medical director and Raymond Wohl, business manager. Photo courtesy of Chicago Male Clinic.
Distress and dysfunction in sleep and sex are both very common and have been found to be related to anxiety, depression and stress. The connections between sleep and sex are largely understudied. However, there is a study, titled “The Sleep and Sex Survey,” published in the September 2018 edition of the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, that sheds light on this subject. The survey included 703 men and women in the United States between 18 and 65 years old.
According to the study’s authors, “Sexual dysfunction is experienced by approximately 10 to 50 percent of men and 25 to 60 percent of women.” In addition, the authors stated, “There is evidence that sexual dysfunction is tied to a number of factors, including chronic insomnia, medical and psychiatric conditions, as well as overall life satisfaction.”
The authors also reported that sleep disturbance and sexual dysfunction are likely correlated with three influence factors: time, place and stress.
The stress factor was said to include perceived stress that affects sleep quality, sleep frequency, duration, habitual sleep, sleep disturbance, use of sleep medications and daytime sleep dysfunction.
The study showed a significant connection between insomnia severity and sexual function.
In conclusion, given this relationship of sex, sleep and stress, it is recommended that clinicians observing dysfunction in one area should routinely assess for dysfunction in the other.
Chicago Male Clinic is a holistic health and wellness center for men’s sexual health that treats the whole person through lifestyle modifications, including better sleep for better health, and provides a natural, integrated approach to successfully diagnosing and treating erectile dysfunction.
Jerry Garcia is the medical director and Raymond Wohl is the business manager and patient care coordinator of Chicago Male Clinic, located at 4801 W. Peterson Ave., Ste. 506, Chicago. For more information or to make an appointment, call 773-414-9900 or visit ChicagoMaleClinic.com.