While most link sleep apnea to drowsiness, fatigue, and possibly diminishing cardiovascular health, one would rarely think that the condition could be linked to sexual health problems; however, studies have shown that sleep apnea can also cause sexual dysfunction in both men and women.
Erectile dysfunction and impotence are said to affect nearly 30 million American men. Though the root cause of such problems is not the same in each patient, sleep apnea has been found to be a catalyst of sexual dysfunction. Many women who suffer from sexual problems also report having sleep disorders, as well.
Sleep and Hormone Levels
It’s obvious that the fatigue and lack of energy caused by sleep apnea could negatively impact a person’s sex life; however, the condition also impacts a patient’s sexual health directly. Sleep apnea can cause low testosterone levels; as sleep apneics rarely get enough sleep each night. Not getting enough hours of sleep at night decreases the amount of time the body has to create and regulate testosterone, a hormone which is usually produced at night, with levels peaking in the morning.
With less sleep, the body isn’t given ample time to produce testosterone, which can cause levels to drop – severely in some cases. Another common problem with sleep apnea is that the body and brain are not able to enter REM sleep, which is the deep restorative sleep needed for hormone regulations.
At the same time, sleep apnea also causes low oxygen levels within the blood which can negatively impact the vasculature of the body’s organs, including the heart, lungs, brain, and the reproductive organs in both men and women. Obviously, having a good night’s sleep really does matter. Continuous nights of poor sleep can lead to serious health problems and a troubled sex life.
Sleep apnea negatively impacts all portions of life. From the bedroom to work, there is no area that sleep apnea can’t touch. To learn more about sleep apnea treatment, contact Dr. Siegel’s office by phone or email to schedule an appointment. Although Dr. Siegel does not diagnose sleep apnea, he will work with patients to schedule a sleep physician-administered sleep study to determine if you are in fact suffering from this sleep disorder.
