There are many reasons why you may feel tired after sex. One reason is because ejaculation takes energy.
During orgasm, the brain releases relaxing chemicals such as oxytocin (the “cuddle hormone”), vasopressin and melatonin, which help to induce sleepiness. Men also release prolactin, which is linked to sexual satisfaction and can make you feel drowsy.
1. Exhaustion
Feeling exhausted after sex is common, but not necessarily because of the physical exertion involved. The body releases a variety of hormones during sexual activity, including oxytocin, endorphins and dopamine, which can cause feelings of relaxation and sleepiness. In addition, sexual activity can drain the body of fluids, contributing to feelings of fatigue and lethargy.
Women and men experience post-sex sleepiness differently, however. Women release oxytocin, which has been called the “cuddle hormone,” during sex, which can create a feeling of peaceful slumber. Men, on the other hand, release prolactin during sex, which can lead to a decrease in arousal. Combined with the fact that intercourse orgasms produce four times more prolactin than masturbatory orgasms, it’s no wonder why some men feel exhausted after sex.
Besides feeling physically tired, sex can also be emotionally exhausting. Sex requires intense focus and attention from both partners, which can be mentally and emotionally draining. And if you’re drained before the sex even starts, it may take longer to feel arousal during sexual activity.
It’s normal for energy levels to fluctuate throughout the day, week and relationship, and it can be helpful to discuss any patterns that you notice with your partner. This can help ensure that one partner’s feelings of exhaustion aren’t misinterpreted as abandonment or that a burst of energy by one partner isn’t misinterpreted as a lack of interest.
2. Hormones
Many people feel tired after sex for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a result of their hormone levels. The brain releases oxytocin during sexual arousal, which can make the body feel full and happy. However, the feeling doesn’t last long and it can make you feel sleepy. Some people even get gas after sex, which can make them feel uncomfortable and cause bloating.
For men, it’s a little more complicated than just hormonal responses to explain why they’re so tired after sex. Leyner and Goldberg suggest that men may fall asleep because after orgasm, they experience a drop in activation through the prefrontal cortex. This can make them feel ready for a good snooze, especially when the hormones oxytocin, prolactin, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), and endorphins are released.
These chemicals can make you feel sleepy and calm, which is a great combination for falling asleep. They’re also accompanied by the release of melatonin, which promotes sleep and is the primary hormone that regulates our bodies’ circadian rhythms.
Women may not experience this same effect after sex because their orgasm is more internal and they don’t have to expend as much energy on the act of orgasm. But they can still feel sleepy after sex because of the same chemicals that are released, including oxytocin, vasopressin, prolactin, nitric oxide, and serotonin.
3. Emotions
A person’s energy levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day, week, and even during different phases of a relationship. However, if you find that you always feel tired after orgasm, it’s worth talking to your doctor about possible causes of the fatigue.
Aside from the fact that some people are simply exhausted after a long day and need to hit the sack early, there are several scientific reasons why you might feel sleepy after orgasm. For one, during sexual arousal, your heart beats faster and blood pressure rises. Once you reach the peak of arousal, orgasm, painkilling chemicals are released, and you may experience intense pleasure. But that pleasure is a lot of work for your body, and it will take time to return to normal.
In addition, the stress hormone cortisol decreases during orgasm, while oxytocin and the sleep-promoting hormone vasopressin are secreted. Combined with the light-regulating hormone melatonin, these hormones encourage drowsiness, making you feel ready for bed.
Men and women can both feel sleepy after orgasm, although sex is often more relaxing for females than males. This is due to a difference in the way their bodies respond to orgasms, according to psychologist Ian Kerner. Kerner, who studied the sexual response of couples for decades, believes that men’s aroused states are characterized by increased muscle tension and an underlying desire to bond with their partners, which makes them more likely to feel sleepy after orgasm.
4. Circulation
Aside from hormones, sex is also an intense physical activity. In fact, men expend more energy during sex than women do. It’s no wonder that they feel exhausted afterward.
It also depends on how much alcohol one has consumed before sex, as it can affect the level of arousal. A small amount of alcohol may not have any effect, but a large one will. This is because a large amount of alcohol affects the body’s ability to metabolize serotonin, which is necessary to stimulate the brain during sexual activity.
Ejaculation itself doesn’t make people sleepy, but the experience of it often does. This is because men tend to reach an explosive orgasm more often than women, and an explosive orgasm takes a lot of energy out of the body.
As soon as men reach an orgasm, their body chemistry changes and the release of prolactin causes them to feel drowsy. This is because the body tries to recover from the orgasm as quickly as possible, in order to get back to normal.
Another reason that men get tired after sex is because the fluid they ejaculate contains a little bit of urea, which causes them to feel drowsy. Urea is a chemical in urine that helps to neutralize acid and reduce the risk of urinary tract infections.
