Can Lack of sleep cause ED?

We all live fast-paced lives that don’t always leave room for enough sleep. Sometimes this lack of sleep can cause erectile dysfunction and even disturb our sexual lives. If you’re facing this problem too, keep reading as we explore the link between sleep disorders and erectile dysfunction and offer solutions to overcome them.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. However, studies show that over one-fourth of adults do not get this much sleep.

The stressors of life and work are mainly to blame here. This lack of sleep can not only cause erectile dysfunction but contribute to other health conditions such as:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Heart disease

How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Sex?

Your sex life doesn’t escape the side effects of sleep deprivation. Here are some ways that lack of sleep affects your sexual health.

Higher Stress Hormones

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more stress hormones than sex hormones. Your cortisol and adrenaline levels rise, putting you in fight-or-flight mode. This response comes with anxious thoughts that keep you awake and make you lose interest in sex. 

Lower Testosterone 

One way lack of sleep can cause erectile dysfunction is by reducing your testosterone levels. Your testosterone production peaks during sleep and plateaus at around 90 minutes. When you wake up, this level falls. Insufficient sleep can disrupt this cycle and hurt your sex life.

Low Libido

Sleep disorders and erectile dysfunction are also connected to low libido. This disinterest in sex is due to lower testosterone levels from insufficient sleep. Dealing with differences in libido can distance you from your partner. One study shows that the desire for sex increases by 14% with every additional hour of sleep.

Infertility

Lack of sleep can not only cause erectile dysfunction in men, but it can also increase the risk of infertility. This reproduction issue arises from lower testosterone levels. Testosterone is necessary for sperm production, and those who don’t get enough sleep will not produce enough sperm. Plus, lower testosterone can also decrease the quality of existing sperm.

Exhaustion

Sleep deprivation can also ruin your sex life by making you tired and sleepy. This exhaustion will put you in a bad mood, cause conflict in your relationship, and contribute to ED. In the end, you will be too tired and irritable to want to have sex. 

Erectile Dysfunction

Lastly, lack of sleep can disrupt your sex life by causing erectile dysfunction. ED prevents you from getting or maintaining an erection to have satisfying intercourse. More than 30 million people suffer from ED, which can be due to physical or psychological reasons. Sleep deprivation can contribute to both, but it has a more direct link to ED. 

Sleep Disorders and Erectile Dysfunction