Not feeling as feisty as you used to? Here's an overlooked cause of low libido and how to fix it fast.
Let's do some basic math using science and statistics. Don't worry, it's not as boring as it sounds because it's about sex. Here we go:
- The average person needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
- One in three Americans don't get that amount. They sleep only 5 to 6 hours.
- According to a recent study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, each extra hour a woman sleeps corresponds to a 14% increase in sexual activity the following day. The underlying hormonal mechanisms that cause this are similar in men.
- So, depending on how a person's body is wired for sleep – requiring 7, 8, or 9 hours nightly – and depending on how sleep-deprived a person is, restoring adequate sleep could lead to a 14, 28, or 42-percent jump in next-day sexual activity or at least libido.
How does sleep affect libido?
The obvious part is obvious: insufficient sleep saps your energy and makes you cranky, anxious, or depressed. The hormonal aspect is more interesting. Bad sleep disrupts hormone balance in men and women, including reductions in testosterone and estrogen.
- For men, testosterone is mainly produced during the deep stages of sleep: slow-wave sleep (SWS) and REM sleep. One study found that when healthy young men sleep 5 hours per night for a week, their testosterone levels drop by 15 percent, and these guys were in their early 20s. Low T, of course, wrecks the male mojo.
- For women, poor sleep alters the balance of estrogen and other sex hormones, and it increases cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol restricts estrogen production. We usually think of testosterone as the horny hormone, but estrogen balance is crucial for the female sex drive. If a woman's estrogen levels are too low, she may experience less desire, fewer orgasms, bad moods, and less lubrication and blood flow "down there."
How to sleep better and boost sex drive
First, remember that inadequate magnesium is one of the primary causes of bad sleep. Correct this common deficiency, and sleep improves almost immediately:
- By enhancing GABA activity, magnesium reduces stress and anxiety, making it easier to fall into the deep stages of sleep, like SWS.
- Magnesium plays a role in melatonin production. Optimal melatonin levels are crucial for both falling asleep and cycling through the sleep stages, including REM.
- Magnesium improves sleep onset and continuity, allowing for a more stable progression into REM and SWS without frequent wakeups. (Fragmented sleep shortens SWS and reduces REM sleep time.)
To correct a deficiency quickly, take Albion-chelated magnesium daily (400 mg), preferably in the evening. This is the kind you absorb most easily. Biotest Elitepro Vital Minerals (Buy at Amazon) contains this form and dosage.
To increase both sex drive and natural testosterone production, take Longjack (Buy at Amazon) (also known as Eurycoma or Tongkat). This will boost your T levels back up with the added benefit of being a fast-acting aphrodisiac. It works for women as well via different mechanisms of action.
Use only the LJ100 form of Longjack. It's the purest, most potent, and most bioavailable form. Omega-Man High Absorption Longjack (Buy at Amazon) contains a high dose (300 mg) of this form. Take one softgel daily.
