14 DAY TRIAL // Bed is good for sex especially if you take a good advantage of it to have a good sleep.
A new study revealed that women accusing lower sex drive during menopause are more likely to report disturbed sleep, depression symptoms and night sweats (hot flashes during sleep). This is the first time sleep disturbance has been found to be connected to decreased sex drive during or after menopause.
The same research showed that herbal supplement black cohosh did not influence menopausal hot flashes or night sweats. The 341 subjects were aged 45 to 55 and had hot flashes, night sweats, or both.
64 % reported low sex drive, 43 % poor sleep quality and 18 % major depression.
"It seems reasonable that night sweats can disturb sleep. And poor sleep can reduce energy for everything, including sex," said lead author Dr. Susan D. Reed, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and epidemiology at the University of Washington.
But she detained from linking depression to a low libido.
"They are each so complex that the interactions can be difficult to tease apart."
But she noted that common antidepressants, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), can interfere with the libido.
"Likewise, although systemic hormone therapy with estrogen can reduce vaginal dryness, it can also lower women's natural testosterone, which affects some women's libido. Before starting any drug treatment for changes that happen in menopause, women need to weigh their individual risks and benefits with their doctors," she added.
Previous researches showed that for women, the most important factor for maintaining sexual desire is the quality of their intimate relationships.
"Diminished desire can be a red flag that the relationship needs some work. Middle age is a great time for couples to check in with each other and work toward improving communication and nurturing their partnership." she said.
"For women, greater intimacy tends to open the door to more sexual desire. That's not always true for men."
"Our work reinforces the difficult time some women have during the menopause transition, and the importance of other symptoms happening at the same time," said co-author Dr. Katherine M. Newton, associate director of Group Health Center for Health Studies.