Does Masturbating Help You Sleep?
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Masturbation. We all do it, and the pleasure and perks to your sexual health are obvious. But did you know that there are other fantastic benefits to getting off?
A fulfilling masturbation routine can lower stress, boost endorphins, lower your blood pressure, and even help you sleep. In this article, we’ll dive into one of the primary benefits of self-pleasure and discuss how your masturbation sessions can help you get better, longer sleep.
The Importance of Quality Sleep
You can’t help but notice the effects of a poor night's sleep. Less rest results in irritability, stress, fatigue, poor concentration, and lack of focus. Conversely, the benefits of proper rest include:
- Increased Brain Performance: During deep sleep, the brain works to process and store the day's memories. Quality rest improves this process and primes your neurological functioning for the next day.
- Raised Immune Response: Different aspects of your immune response are more active during different parts of the day, meaning that sleep has an effect on your immune system. Deep sleep is a time when your normal immune functioning goes through this standard, necessary process. Regular, deep sleep keeps your immune system functioning at full capacity.
- Maintained Weight: The body processes fat according to many factors, including your circadian rhythm. Sleep is an important part of this process. Appropriate sleep can lead to decreased consumption of food, increased physical activity, and more positive benefits.
- Improved Relationship-building: Irritability and fatigue due to lack of sleep don’t help your friend-building skills. The proper amount of sleep leaves you with the energy and drive to invest in the relationships that are most important to you.
- Boosted Work Performance: The benefits of quality sleep all work together to improve your work performance. This can potentially result in better job opportunities, increased pay, and higher work satisfaction.
So, how many hours of sleep do you actually need to achieve all these perks? Babies, children, and teens all require vastly different amounts of sleep for proper health. For adults over the age of 18, though, the recommended amount is anywhere between seven and nine hours per night.
Any less will potentially devastate your mental and physical health, but more than nine hours of sleep per night won’t hurt you. In fact, for individuals recovering from illness, travel, or overexertion, over nine hours can get them back to normal functioning.
Getting the right amount of uninterrupted sleep isn’t always easy. This is where masturbation can come in and save the day (or night).
Does Masturbating Help You Sleep?
Definitely yes. There have been many studies that look into the exact ways that masturbation helps improve rest cycles. Let’s dive into the science behind why masturbation can help you sleep:
- Oxytocin: During masturbation, your body releases large amounts of oxytocin. This hormone works to lower cortisol levels, which is the hormone primarily responsible for stress. This stress response can be uber-useful during the day, like during a presentation or when catching the bus. However, at night, it can keep you wide awake hours past bedtime. The oxytocin released during masturbation keeps levels low, allowing you to get some shut-eye.
- Prolactin: The powerful hormone prolactin is released during a self-pleasure session. This hormone works to soothe and relax the body. It works with the melatonin that’s naturally released before bed to knock you out cold.
- Use Excess Energy: Fapping always requires a certain amount of physical effort. Even if you’re just playing with the tip or massaging your clit, you’ll likely need to exert a certain amount of energy. This concerted effort helps you drain the last of the day’s reserves and prepare you to fall asleep.
- Improve Sleep Quality: These effects don’t disappear the minute you fall asleep. The hormones released and energy spent during masturbation stay with you well into REM sleep. They work to keep you in a deep sleep throughout the night.
Any form of masturbation is excellent for promoting quality sleep. Sex toys are especially helpful in eliciting the feel-good hormones that help relax the body. These toys make it easier to reach a powerful orgasm and get every bit of the sleep hormones you need.
Do You Need to Orgasm to Sleep?
This is a vital question, especially considering it’s normal not to cum during every self-pleasure session. Some people even struggle to cum from masturbation at all.
There hasn’t yet been a definitive scientific conclusion on whether orgasm is required to boost sleep after masturbation. The 1985 study “Sexual Activity and Sleep in Humans” is the only current experimental study that looks at the effect of sleep with and without the grand finale.
They found that orgasm has no significant effect on sleep quality. However, this is only one study with a small study size and has not yet been repeated. This study also used unconventional techniques that may have skewed their data (think anal probe).
For now, it’s necessary to conclude that we don’t know for sure if ejaculation improves sleep or not. Pay attention to your body and your personal sleep schedule. If you feel that orgasm is needed for premium sleep, it may be time to invest in a high-quality sex toy to boost your masturbation experience and overall self-sex life.
Other Tips for Improved Sleep Quality
Masturbation is only one aspect of getting better sleep. A good night’s sleep may require an extensive self-care bedtime routine.
Here are some other ways to improve sleep quality if the mood isn’t right (or before your self-love session), such as:
- Journaling: There are plenty of health benefits to keeping a reflective or meditative journal; better sleep is included.
- Reading: The right book can increase serotonin and dopamine production, as well as lower your stress hormone.
- Creating a peaceful environment: A peaceful atmosphere can improve mental health and help you improve sleep quality.
- Drinking herbal tea: A calming tea can work as a supplement to help you relax, improve your well-being, and get you a better night’s sleep.
- Engaging in sexual intercourse: Get the blood flow pumping and release endorphins the old-fashioned way. You’ll sleep like a baby afterward.
- Studying your sleep cycles: A sleep aid app can help you predict when to start your nightly routine for ultimate shut-eye.
- Developing a workout routine: A proper workout schedule can help get out excess energy and get your body ready for sleep earlier in the night.
Developing the ideal nightly routine may require some trial and error. Be patient and know that a proper sleep routine will help lower stress levels and get you into a better mental state. You deserve the best night's sleep. Don’t settle for less.
Put an End to Your Sleepless Nights With Fleshlight
A proper nightly routine and a stellar jacking-off routine will get you to sleep and keep you asleep. At Fleshlight, we make high-quality sex toys to help you reach the pinnacle of pleasure and fall into the deepest sleep.
Discover how the pornstar pocket pussy lulls you to sleep or how the blowjob simulator knocks you out like a light. If anal is more your thing, then the best male anal sex toy is the one for you. We even offer fun sex toys for couples to help you get the most out of every sexual encounter. Discover the Fleshlight difference today and end your sleepless nights.