Frequency of marital intercourse among patients with psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders in Japan

Sleep Improvement Effect on Sexual Life Quality Among Rotating Female Shift Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep quality consequences among shift working nurses are well recognized.

AIM

To investigate the impact of sleep improvement on sexual quality of life.

METHODS

The study was a parallel randomized controlled trial, conducted among 120 female nurses in 2 educational hospitals in the Northeast of Iran, Shahroud. Using random blocks of four, 120 eligible participants were randomly assigned to study groups. Data collecting tools included a demographic data questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality, and the survey of sexual quality of life-female and Sexual Self-Efficacy Questionnaire to evaluate level of sexual quality of life and sexual self-efficacy, respectively. The intervention consisted of 3 weekly sleep intervention sessions that lasted from 90 to 120 minutes.

OUTCOMES

The study's primary and secondary outcomes were sleep quality, and the level of sexual self-efficacy and sexual quality of life, respectively.

RESULTS

By 3-month follow-up, the loss to follow-up rate was 5.9%. The mean sleep quality score was 7.61 ± 2.26 in the recruited participants. Following the intervention, the sleep quality score showed statistically significant differences compared to the control group [mean difference (CI 99.98%), -1.89 (-2.40, -1.38)]. Participants in the intervention group showed modest increases in both measures; sexual self-efficacy [mean difference (CI 99.98%), 8.82 (6.83, 10.81)] and sexual quality of life [mean difference (CI 99.98%), 19.64 (18.08, 21.20)].

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

These findings suggest that sleep improvement could promote the sexual quality of life among shift working nurses.

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS

Strengths of this study include the use of a validated outcome measure. Focusing the study on female nurses and the small size of the study population are the limitations.

CONCLUSION

Improved sleep showed an impact on sexual quality of life among rotating female shift workers. Khastar H, Mirrezaie SM, Chashmi NA, et al. Sleep Improvement Effect on Sexual Life Quality Among Rotating Female Shift Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Sex Med 2020;17:1467-1475.

Subjective sleep quality, unstimulated sexual arousal, and sexual frequency

Introduction

REM sleep deprivation increases unstimulated erections in rats, and total sleep deprivation increases erections during audiovisual sexual stimulation in men, but the effects of sleep problems on human unstimulated sexual arousal are unknown.

Objective

We examined the associations of subjective sleep quality with unstimulated sexual arousal, satisfaction with sex life, and sexual frequency and desire over the past month.

Methods

275 Portuguese (169 women) reported their anxiety, sexual arousal and sexual desire during a resting state, and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the sexual satisfaction subscale of the LiSat scale, the Desire dimensions of the Female Sexual Function Index (women only) and International Index of Erectile Function (men only). They additionally reported how many days in the past month they engaged in penile-vaginal intercourse, noncoital sex, and masturbation. Salivary testosterone (T) was assayed by luminescence immunoassays.

Results

Poorer sleep quality correlated with greater unstimulated sexual arousal in men with higher T levels and in women with higher T levels not taking oral contraceptives. In women with lower T, poorer subjective sleep quality correlated with greater sexual dissatisfaction. In both sexes, sleep quality was uncorrelated with sexual desire and sexual frequency over the past month.

Discussion

Consistently with other studies in humans and animals, the findings are congruent with the notion that lack of sleep can increase sexual arousal, but not sexual frequency. T might play a role in the sexual arousal caused by lack of appropriate sleep.

Poorer Subjective Sleep Quality Is Related to Higher Fantasy-Induced Sexual Arousal in Women of Reproductive Age

Lack of sleep enhances erections and lubrication the next day. This raises the possibility that poorer subjective sleep quality is related to sexual arousal. To test this hypothesis, sexual arousal was elicited in 70 Portuguese women of reproductive age by means of fantasy. The level of salivary testosterone before and shortly after fantasy was determined by luminescence immunoassays. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), reported their sexual arousal before and during fantasy, and how anxious they were after the fantasy. The hypothesis was confirmed. Anxiety did not explain the association, but testosterone response (poststimulus minus baseline) had a slight explanatory effect.