Fatigue from busy lifestyles is causing young Icelanders to have less sex than their older counterparts, according to an expert in life and medical sciences.
Dr. Sandra Mjöll Jónsdóttir highlighted the issue—which has come to light through various studies—on RÚV’s Rás 2 this morning. With young couples often both working outside the home, frequently not enough time is allocated to sleep.
“Sleep is not an inactive state,” Sandra said. “It is used to rejuvenate the body and create essential substances that we use when we are awake, including sex hormones.”
Insomnia is an extremely common problem for women, as Sandra explained: “They are twice as likely as men to experience sleep problems, and about 40% of women say they have impaired sex drive.”
The more a man sleeps, the more testosterone he produces. And conversely, men who sleep less than about six hours a day have significantly fewer sperm. “More of those sperm are defective, or less active,” continued Sandra. “Therefore insomnia can cause fertility problems.”
The answer is simply to get a good night’s sleep.
“I encourage people to prioritise good sleep,” said Sandra. “All the results show that when people get a little more sleep, sexual desire increases and this vicious cycle can be broken.”
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