Why do men sleep faster after sex (but women don't)

Ladies, have you ever noticed that after a hot sex session, your partner is fast asleep beside you without much fuss? Indeed, sex is said to be an activity that can make you sleep better because it releases a number of hormones that make you feel more relaxed and sleepy so you fall asleep more easily. But why is this phenomenon of sleep after sex more common in men - while you are left asleep, mournful lamenting the sky? It turns out that there is a biological explanation behind this.

Why do men sleep faster after sex than women?

1. Primitive human instincts

Evolutionarily speaking, the main goal of men on earth is to produce as many offspring as possible, and technically sleep would get in the way of their search. But sleep can be treated as a way for him to rest and recharge before starting the next round again.

2. Sex is more tiring for men than women

Simply put, sexual activity often occurs at night and in bed, two things that are closely related to sleep or rest time. At night is the only time when you and your partner can have sex more freely and comfortably without having to bother thinking about other daily routines or the possibility of being caught by children.

And after all, sex in itself tends to be physically exhausting, especially for men than for women. Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg, M.D., authors of Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex ?, further explain that exertion during sex and after climax depletes energy-producing glycogen in muscles. And because men have more muscle mass than women, men become more tired after sex. So when sex is over, it's natural for a man to feel sleepy.

3. Men orgasm faster (and easier) than women

Research using positron emission tomography (PET) scans shows that in order for you to have an orgasm, the main requirement is to let go of "all fear and anxiety." Doing so, apart from consuming mental energy, also tends to relax feelings which may explain a person's tendency to fall asleep sooner after sex.

Then, there are several nerves that play an important role during the orgasm. One of these is the nucleus accumbens, a region of the brain associated with pleasure and reward via releasing transmitters, called dopamine. Apart from sex, dopamine can also be released by stimulation of drugs, such as amphetamines and cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, and chocolate.

This may be one of the factors why an orgasm can feel tiring. When all the nerves in the brain are stimulated simultaneously, this can obscure the differences between individual nerve functions. At climax, the brain area lateral to the orbitofrontal cortex that is located behind the eye is deactivated. This area is responsible for the control of behavior and reason. This is probably why you can't focus on other things around you (including your partner who wants to spend time making out), and just want to get to bed right away.

4. The effects after orgasm in men are different from those experienced by women

An important part of an orgasm is some kind of tunnel vision - and it doesn't just dampen outside distractions, like knocking on doors and outside construction noise. In women in particular, the post-orgasm effect actually makes them very focused. The reason is that orgasms really are built with a full focus on achieving satisfaction, making us blind to other stimulants, either physically or mentally.

A 2005 study from the Netherlands showed that the parts of a woman's brain that regulate feelings, the amygdala and hippocampus, actually shuts down as soon as orgasm builds. We become very focused on sensations and pleasures, rather than thinking about love, worry, or anything else. The behavioral part of regulating the brain is also dead, so we also don't control ourselves for fear of being judged. Once we come down from climax, we return to our bodies, our consciousness is reset, and our emotional intelligence returns to normal.

Meanwhile, after men experience orgasm they usually experience a period of recovery (refractory), which makes them unable to return to arousal quickly. This coupled with the fatigue factor, makes men in general tend to "give up" and want to go to sleep right away. On the other hand, women are not always able to reach orgasm after sex (which prevents them from producing sleep-inducing hormones), but also do not have a vaginal discharge like men.

Therefore, they tend to be more alert and refreshed after sex because they don't go through the same orgasmic period, and want the next round of being able to reach the expected orgasm when their partner just wants to rest.

5.Women have a greater urge to make out after sex (afterplay)

After orgasm, both men and women release the chemicals oxytocin, prolactin, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), and endorphins. Each contributes to feelings of relaxation and sleepiness after sex. The hormone oxytocin is known to have several effects, including the formation of behavior cuddling, stimulation of uterine smooth muscle contraction during labor and stimulation of breast milk letdown in women.

It is also referred to as the "cuddle hormone" because it tends to create a need to strengthen bonds with your partner. But in one study, oxytocin has been shown to dull male intimate behavior because it triggers the release of melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleepiness.

Prolactin is another factor that explains why men fall asleep faster after sex. This hormone is produced in the pituitary gland, and its best-known function is the stimulation of milk production. Prolactin is believed to relieve sexual arousal after orgasm and release thoughts of sex. Prolactin levels rise during sleep, and the experimental animals injected with this hormone can become tired and sleepy immediately afterward. So prolactin looks like it could be the culprit.

What's more, men's bodies naturally produce up to four times more prolactin after orgasm from intercourse than after masturbation for unknown reasons, according to a recent study.