Better sleep and sex may support each other.

Surveys and some studies report that sex before bed—especially when it includes orgasm—is often associated with quicker sleep onset and better perceived sleep, while chronic sleep problems are linked with sexual difficulties; however, objective sleep-lab evidence is limited.

Many people report having sex shortly before going to bed, and surveys find late-night intimacy is a common timing for sexual activity. Respondents often say sex — particularly when it includes orgasm — helps them fall asleep and improves their sleep quality. Laboratory studies that measure sleep stages directly are scarce, and the small studies that exist give mixed results. Biological changes after orgasm provide plausible reasons for increased sleepiness, but social and relational factors also shape both sleep and sexual health. Key points: - Surveys from Australia and Norway found a majority of adults reported improved sleep after sex, with about 60% in one study saying partnered sex helped their sleep and lower percentages reporting benefits after masturbation. - A small Montreal lab study from the 1980s (10 participants) found no clear differences in sleep architecture after reading, masturbating without orgasm, or masturbating with orgasm, and objective research on partnered sex is limited. - After orgasm, hormones and neurochemicals such as oxytocin, prolactin and endorphins tend to rise while cortisol often falls, a pattern that is consistent with increased calm and sleepiness. - Men are slightly more likely than women to report sleep benefits from partnered sex; this difference lessens when analyses focus on orgasm specifically, which some researchers link to an "orgasm gap" in partnered settings. - Chronic sleep problems are associated with sexual difficulties: sleep apnea has been linked with lower testosterone and a higher risk of erectile and female sexual dysfunction, and insomnia is tied to lower sexual satisfaction; some sleep-related sexual issues have been reported to improve when sleep disorders are treated. Summary: People commonly report that sex before bed, particularly when it includes orgasm, is associated with feeling more relaxed and falling asleep faster, while persistent sleep problems are linked with reduced sexual satisfaction and function. Objective, sleep-lab research on partnered sex is limited, and further controlled studies would help clarify measurable effects and underlying mechanisms.