Measuring brain waves during sleep could lead to better depression treatments
A team at the University of Basel discovered a connection between antidepressants and REM sleep.
18 September, 2020
Photo: Lightfield Studios / Shutterstock
- Researchers at the University of Basel measured the efficacy of antidepressants by measuring brain waves during REM sleep.
- Antidepressants take weeks to begin working, and over 50 percent of users don't find success with the first prescription.
- This research could offer a powerful new diagnostic tool for psychiatrists and doctors.
<p>The National Institutes of Health tested the efficacy of sleeping pills in 2007. On average, these medications only add an <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/americans-are-getting-worse-at-taking-sleeping-pills/375935/" target="_blank">additional 11 minutes</a> of sleep. The trade-off—<a href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/understanding-the-side-effects-of-sleeping-pills" target="_blank">potential side effects</a> include constipation, stomach pain, impairment, memory problems, and more—doesn't seem worth the extra time asleep.</p><p>Then there are neurological changes induced by sleeping pills. Sleep aids affect your brain's production of the neurotransmitter GABA. Unfortunately, drugs <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/what-science-says-about-using-sleep-medications" target="_blank">like Ambien</a> "can actually restrict the deeper brain waves produced during REM sleep, leading to grogginess and forgetfulness the following morning." Those extra 11 minutes are not better minutes; in fact, your sleep cycles are disrupted entirely.</p><p>Sleeping disorders affect <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over one-third</a> of American adults. Roughly 70 million Americans sleep <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11429-common-sleep-disorders" target="_blank">less than seven hours</a> per night. While disorders such as narcolepsy and apnea have their own treatment protocols, insomnia is a major concern. The reasons are varied: screen time, diet, stress, caffeine. As with sleeping pills, caffeine can negatively impact your ability to sleep, as well as getting into a deep sleep. </p><p>Add antidepressants to that list—for some. New <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/econ-mbw091120.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research</a> from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology has found that by measuring brainwaves during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, researchers can predict how that person will respond to antidepressants, such as Prozac and Fluoxetine. </p><p>Prescription mediation is always a gamble. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) take weeks to begin working; over half of patients don't respond to the drugs they're given. Depressed patients want relief as quickly as possible, so cycling through a few medications, each with their own list of side effects (including sleep disruption), can be a frustrating process. </p>
Should you "hack" your sleep pattern? | Vanessa Hill | Big Think
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="af84e812903700afbdc0c73e6b7c619e"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Y-qLKZWyDs?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>University of Basel's Dr Thorsten Mikoteit led the research. His team studied 37 volunteers suffering from major depression, with 15 in the control group. Everyone's brain waves were measured while asleep. By gazing at these waves, the researchers identified patterns that could predict whether or not the volunteer would benefit from an antidepressant.</p><p>Through their observations, the researchers were able to suggest a different medication if they did not seem to respond to the first. After five weeks, 87.5 percent of the patients in the treatment group showed an improved response to medication, compared to only 20 percent in the control group. </p><p>It should be noted that this is a pilot study and has not yet been peer reviewed. Still, Mikoteit sees hope in the protocol. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"We have been able to show that by predicting the non-response to antidepressants we were able to adapt the treatment strategy more or less immediately: this enables us to significantly shorten the average duration between start of antidepressant treatment and response, which is vital especially for seriously depressed patients."</p><p>Poor sleep is an indicator of numerous health problems, including anxiety and depression. Getting an inside view of sleep patterns could be a game-changer for the hundreds of millions of people that regularly suffer from depression. If this research holds up, doctors could have a powerful new diagnostic tool at their fingertips. The time, money, and health risks associated with faulty prescriptions could be avoided—a win for patients and the health care system overall. </p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://derekberes.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Substack</a>. His next book is</em> "<em>Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."</em></p>
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The rhythm of the night: How music can help insomnia
Insomnia is the product of mental or emotional pressure.
16 September, 2020
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Even in sleep, we partake in the becoming of the world," to utter the echo in Czesław Miłosz's poem "A Magic Mountain."
<p>Lying awake at night, I have sometimes found myself turning this idea over in my head. Like millions of slumberless souls, I have suffered with regular bouts of insomnia, which, in my case, were triggered by overworking, psychological pressure, and obsessive thoughts. Insomniac sleep deprivation provoked in me a profound anxiety, shades of paranoia, and the promise of depression. However, during one tempestuous summer a few years ago, I found an aural way to silence it.</p><p>Beleaguered in the stifling intensity of two interim jobs, I worked too much, too hard and too long; stress-ridden and marooned in the city, I fell over the edge into a nightly insomnia. Like quicksand, the more I tried to sleep and ignore the freneticism of my racing thoughts, the harder it became to drift off – I couldn't say how I partook in Miłosz's becoming. I tried everything, from books on balmy midnight sleepwalks to friendly lectures on temperance. Nothing worked. A sleeping pill prescription was complicated by side-effect trepidation spawned by my state of nervous distress; my mental health suffered and I feared a repeat of depressive episodes. In the past, I had used music to modulate my emotions, so I trialled a kind of self-directed musical hypnosis. Finally, here was something that hit a chord.</p><p>After weeks of wakeful anxiety, in the soft strains of music I found a medium that regulated my mood, toned down the stress and tuned into my sleep patterns. Not a total cure for my affliction, but certainly a vital accompaniment. After the temporary projects eventually flourished to a crescendo, music had become the requiem to my insomnia.</p>
<p>This should not have come as a surprise to me considering the scale to which I delved into psychiatric research on the topic at the time. "One of the features which makes music a low-cost alternative to sleep medication is the distracting function of music," explains Helle Nystrup Lund, a Danish PhD researcher and music therapist at the Unit for Psychiatric Research at <em>Aalborg University Hospital</em>, whose current research is focused on whether music can improve sleep quality for patients suffering from depression and insomnia. "Stress and depression are likely to be followed by worries and thoughts," she tells me. "Thoughts and restlessness are preventing sleep initiation. Music may distract from feelings and thoughts and help the individual to fall asleep. Calm music supports relaxation and this is also helpful to improve sleep."</p><h3>Sleeping in uncertain times</h3><p>For me and millions of others, insomnia is the product of mental or emotional pressure, which can increase stress levels and engender a tortuously vicious cycle. The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it its own collateral miasma of stressfulness and sleeplessness, a factor reinforced by a scientific paper in the <em>Journal of Sleep Research</em> detailing the quarantine's inimical effects on stress-inflected insomnia and emotional regulation.</p><p>While it may seem negligible compared to the widespread devastation of the coronavirus, issues ranging from epidemiological fears of infection to the economic worries of personal finance are preventing proper sleep. As a 2012 research paper from Korea University suggests, such worries can aggravate the triggers of insomnia, inducing the body to secrete excessive amounts of the hormone cortisol and leading to the hyper-alertness that breeds insomniac states. Quality sleep is not a panacea and cannot resolve all the acute nightmares of the pandemic; however, as subjective experience can attest to, music can be a practical leitmotif for a healthy regimen of rest.</p>
<p>Jimi Tormey, a musician who has also suffered with insomnia, tells me of his own sonic self-medication: "I find that repetition is one of the key musical elements that helps me sleep, but dynamic percussive sounds somehow feel 'closer' to me, which can be disruptive when trying to get to sleep," he affirms. "To silence sleep-preventing thoughts, I listen to minimalist composers and albums that have an overall sense of regularity and calmness to prevent spikes in tempo or timbre." His account seems to be pitched in unison with scientists at the University of Fribourg's Division of Cognitive Biopsychology and Methods, who have empirically proven that relaxing music can aid sleep. According to their investigations, soundscapes, classical music and ambient noise can all help to dissolve stress by inducing mental relaxation and muscle sedation.</p><p>But what <em>is </em>music? The definition is infamously elusive. We might say that music involves expression and auditory texture, sonic experiences and tone colour – conventionally, we could call it the art of successive and ordered sounds. For the purposes of this discussion, the term 'music' will be in the key of sleep: from ambient beats and dreamy soundscapes to a piano's delicate strains or the cadences of a sitar.</p><p>Take, for instance, the melodic framework of the <em>raga </em>from the Indian musical tradition. Derived from the Sanskrit word for the act of dyeing or colouring, the term also signifies the imbuing of positive emotional states. Psychological research led by the National Brain Research Centre in India shows that <em>ragas </em>use different combinations of musical intervals, scales, tonality and tempo to inject rhythmic colour and elicit emotions in the listener. "Neelambari" – an ancient and ubiquitous <em>raga</em> – has long been thought of as a sleep-inducing lullaby, particularly in the context of the southern, Carnatic musical system. Despite some internal disputes about its soporific effects, the hypnotic pulses and cadences of the piece certainly connote a general sense of sleepiness.</p><p>"We don't choose to hear or not in the same way that we can choose to close our eyes," explains Chris Waller, a researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London, whose work focuses on music in carceral contexts. "Therefore, as Michel Serres suggests, to make our sonic environment feel stable and secure involves 'ear work,' which means determining what is meaningful sound and what is noise, and what the meanings behind those sounds are," he informs me. "Given that music has such a rich internal logic, often very consistent and symmetrical, it can be a useful resource for the mind to grab onto and construct a predictable sonic environment out of."</p>
<h3>Nightly nocturnes</h3><p>Some findings support the notion that classical music has a positive effect on sleep due to its impact on the parasympathetic nervous system – the network responsible for the body's 'rest and digest' responses. That listening to music can be evocatively somnolent is, of course, far from a novel phenomenon. For centuries, classical composers have honed the ability to convey feeling and emotion in their listenership. In the Western canon, the invocation of sleep-inducing emotion plays out in a slightly different key. Often called the 'poet of the piano,' Frédéric Chopin's poignant intensity and romantic finesse single him out as a composer of particular emotional refinement and therefore the perfect amplifier for insomniacs. A fellow insomniac, Chopin ironically complained that, "meanwhile, my manuscripts sleep and I can't sleep" in a letter he wrote in 1838 from his winter sojourn in Mallorca.</p><p><span></span>His famous "Nocturnes" – so named for an evocation of the night – follow in the formal tradition of languidly melodic compositions and are often cited as practical preludes to sleep. In my own times of manic wakefulness, I have often depended on his 21 emotive solo piano pieces for a source of equanimity, with their soothing refrains, serenade-like lyricism and dreamlike <em>legato</em>. "The nocturne is oneiric," echoes Matthew del Novo in <em>The Metaphysics of Night</em>.<em> </em>"The start of No. 6 in G minor is particularly sleepy as if the notes are shaking drowsiness from them…the notes themselves going off – but not very far – to look for melody, like a mind that wanders into a fantasy by which it is carried away," he writes. "The slowing pace allows one to drift and Chopin's talent for ending without ending, in the way one never registers the moment one falls asleep is evident here." His undulating analysis here describes almost exactly the way I have experienced them – each Nocturne like a peregrination of the mind.</p><p>It is not just Chopin's <em>pianissimo</em> that can exorcize the spirits of sleeplessness. There are reams of popular classical sedatives – from the languorous tempi of Erik Satie's "Gymnopédies" and Claude Debussy's "Rêverie" and "Clair de Lune", to J.S. Bach's measured violin concertos. Indeed, according to psychological research conducted in the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield, classical music is overwhelmingly the most prevalent genre of music used for sleep. While it is the prevailing prescription, this is because much of it is gently ordered and immersive. Indeed, <em>any</em> slow music of around 60 to 80 beats per minute (BPM) can help us sleep.</p>
<h3>Euphoric whispers</h3><p>As well as euphonic musical structures, ambient soundscapes and the recorded sounds of nature can also be a welcome tonic for those suffering with insomnia and other somnipathies. One example is the sonorous trend of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos, which use sonic triggers to induce low-level euphoria and purportedly help with sleep – as is the case with Maya Lane, a postgraduate student in medical anthropology. "I have anxiety that gets worse at night and causes my insomnia. It really heightens all my senses – things like someone talking, a door closing or the pipes in the house can make me feel completely on edge.</p><p>"I've realized I need something to completely distract my brain away from concentrating on these sounds and help me sleep," she tells me. "I either listen to the <em>Sleep Whispers</em> podcast – someone telling stories in a whisper ASMR style – or the Headspace [a popular mindfulness app – ed. note] eight-hour soundscapes, which are things like rainforest noises, rain and storm noises. I'm not sure if they cause euphoria, but they definitely help relax me and take my mind off trying to sleep."</p><p>By harmonizing with slow tempos and languid rhythms, both hypnotic sounds and music can lower blood pressure, slow down breathing and encourage the deceleration of heart rate – a synchronization that mimics some of the body's 'falling asleep' processes. As myself and others have discovered, a bedtime routine with a regular relaxing soundtrack sends clear signals to the body to initialize sleep mode and synchronize biological clocks with environmental cues (so-called <em>zeitgebers</em>) such as light. However, the therapeutic or soporific aspect of music is mostly effective in improving sleep indirectly via relaxation. This may help with anxiety and stress-related insomnia, but other bio-physiological sleep disorders such as sleep paralysis and more physical breathing-related issues including sleep apnoea will be unresponsive or less likely to respond directly.</p>
<p>Considering that we spend one third of our lives sleeping (or attempting to do so) the importance of sleep for supporting physical and emotional well-being rings clear as a bell. The echo of an echo: "Even asleep we partake in the becoming of the world." After sleeplessly hearing his words, I finally understood the true import of Miłosz's maxim. His reminder that we contribute to the world in ways that might forever be unknown to us is like a somniloquy, a sleep-talking motto about self-awareness. How ironic, then, that my secret of sleep was the opposite: to be blissfully drowned in sound, to be unaware of oneself.</p><p>But to be awake, to be besieged by insomnia, does not always correlate to an increased perception of the self. Even as modernity seems to be characterized by the condition of insomnia, it is vital that we listen to our own biological rhythms, to our aural textures of music, and that we keep time with the physiological acoustics of sleep – the rhythm of the night.</p><p>Reprinted with permission of <a href="https://przekroj.pl/en" target="_blank">Przekrój</a>. Read the original article. </p>
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Harvard study suggests avoiding TV and daytime naps to avoid depression
The goal of this large-scale study was to provide actionable information on how to avoid depression or decrease depressive symptoms.
27 August, 2020
Photo by panitanphoto on Shutterstock
- Depression is a very common mental disorder, with more than 264 million people struggling with this issue worldwide. According to WHO, depression is a leading cause of disability.
- Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors.
- A new large-scale Harvard Medical School study suggests daytime napping and frequent television-watching may be negatively contributing to depression.
<p>Depression is a common mental disorder, with more than 264 million people (of all ages) who struggle with this issue.</p><p><strong>There are several different types of depression, with the two most common being: </strong></p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Recurrent depressive disorder</li><li>Bipolar affective disorder</li></ol><p>Depression, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. While there are several effective treatments for depression (including antidepressant medications), there are also lifestyle changes you can make to prevent or lessen the impact of depressive symptoms.</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU4NTE3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDM0NjgyOH0.UtDpBYRv3ZM33ue3xwulT6rXBUtNs1BlWi6IO-cbjZQ/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C52%2C0%2C52&height=700" id="cef68" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c145e97f15258a5c989146fabdf22725" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="man napping on couch while watching television" />
This large-scale, two-stage approach study scanned a wide range of modifiable factors that could be associated with the risk of developing depression...
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<p>According to a large-scale (over 100,000 participants) study out of <a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111158" target="_blank">Harvard Medical School</a>, there are many ways you can lessen the impact of depression. The study focused on the lifestyle factors that you can easily modify if you suffer from depression.</p><p>The researchers took a two-stage approach to this study. The first stage drew on a database of over 100,000 participants in the UK Biobank to systematically scan a wide range of modifiable factors that could be associated with the risk of developing depression. These modifiable factors included things like social interaction, media use, sleeping patterns, diet, physical activity, and environmental exposures. </p><p>The second stage of this study was to narrow down the field to a smaller set of promising and potentially causal targets for depression. Throughout this two-step process, they were able to determine certain behaviors that can directly influence depression. </p><p><strong>Confiding in and socializing with others could lessen depression symptoms. </strong></p><p>Lead author Jordan Smoller, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School explains to <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90541202/harvard-researchers-discover-the-easy-behavioral-trick-to-avoiding-depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fast Company</a>: "Far and away, the most prominent of these factors was frequency of confiding in others, but also visits with family and friends, all of which highlights the important protective effect of social connection and social cohesion."</p><p>This is further backed up by previous research done on the health benefits of socializing. According to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-mild-cognitive-impairment/201606/the-health-benefits-socializing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Psychology Today</a>, interacting with others boosts feelings of well-being and decreases feelings of depression. This helpful article lists several ways you can slowly incorporate more socialization into your life, with things like Skype/Facetime calls with family and friends, taking a new class, or volunteering at a charity organization. </p><p><strong>Your television habits may be negatively impacting your depression. </strong></p><p>The study suggests certain behaviors (such as watching television) could be associated with depression, but it isn't the first of it's kind to make that connection.</p><p>In fact, there have been several studies (including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28879072/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this one</a> from 2017), that have suggested there is a link between how much television you watch and your mental health. Most of these studies conclude that the more television you watch, the worse your mental health can be. </p><p><strong>Daytime napping also negatively impacts depression. </strong></p><p>While it's common knowledge that a healthy sleeping pattern can positively impact your mental and physical health, did you know that having a nap during the daytime can impact depression? However, more research is needed to determine exactly why. The study suggests that both daytime napping and excessive television consumption could be proxies for sedentary behavior which would then impact your mental health. </p><p><strong>The goal of this study was to provide actionable information on preventing and avoiding depression symptoms. </strong></p><p>The research on depression and various mental health conditions has been ramping up and along with it, there will hopefully be more answers to these questions. As for this study, researchers explain that they wanted to leave readers with actionable advice on daily habits that could be contributing to their depressive symptoms. </p><p>"Depression takes an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society, yet we still know very little about how to prevent it," said Smoller <a href="https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/mgh-sis081420.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in an interview</a>. "We hope this work will motivate further efforts to develop actionable strategies for preventing depression."</p>
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Get better sleep each night by binging content on Restflix
Restflix has over 20 personalized channels for optimal sleep.
24 August, 2020
- 40 percent of Americans receive less than seven hours of sleep every night.
- Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on your physiology, creating problems ranging from dementia to obesity.
- A good night's sleep has positive benefits for your mental and physical health, including increased focus and reduced anxiety.
<script async="true" src="https://widgets.stackcommerce.com/js-deal-feed/0.1/widget.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>A good night's sleep is one of the greatest indicators of a healthy lifestyle. Getting at least seven hours of sleep per night has positive benefits for your mind and body but, for numerous reasons, at least 40% of Americans struggle with it.</p><p>While some people can fall asleep with the television on, your subconscious mind is still processing the sounds it hears. Instead of relying on Netflix, here's an alternative designed to actually help you sleep. It's called<strong><a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/restflix-2-year-subscription?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=restflix-2-year-subscription&utm_term=scsf-422038&utm_content=a0x1P000004XqPjQAK&scsonar=1" target="_blank"> Restflix</a> </strong>and it's a unique streaming service that will help you fall and stay asleep each night.</p><p>By harnessing the power of binaural beats, Restflix videos chill out your brain's arousal network. Instead of being on edge, you'll quickly succumb to your parasympathetic nervous system.</p><p>Calm is guaranteed with Restflix's over 20 personalized channels. The service's guided meditations, bedtime stories, and serene natural views and sounds will aid you in your quest for a truly restful night's sleep. There are even guided meditations for children.</p><p>You can watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/19ZlTF-X3pQ" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Restflix</a> on all major platforms, including Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Android, and Fire TV. With your subscription, you'll receive unlimited video and audio with no commercial interruptions.</p><p>Besides a better night's sleep, Restflix may also help you with evening anxiety, insomnia, and tinnitus. With five-star ratings on both the Google Play and the App Store, it's already made quite the impression on many users.</p><p>A two-year subscription to <a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/restflix-2-year-subscription?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=restflix-2-year-subscription&utm_term=scsf-422038&utm_content=a0x1P000004XqPjQAK&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Restflix: Restful Sleep Streaming Service</strong></a> is on sale now for $49.99 – 50% off the usual cost.</p><p><em>Price subject to change.</em></p><script type="text/javascript"> (function (s,o,n,a,r,i,z,e){s['StackSonarObject']=r;s[r]=s[r]||function(){
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How can you actively boost your low libido?
There are several things both men and women can do to actively boost low libido, according to research.
11 August, 2020
Photo by We-Vibe WOW Tech on Unsplash
- Low libido, or sudden changes in your sex drive, can be overwhelming and cause embarrassment or shame, but this is a common problem that could have many different solutions.
- According to research, managing your anxiety/stress levels, maintaining a healthy diet and proper sleeping habits, and cutting down on things such as alcohol or smoking can all boost your libido.
- Low libido can have many causes (physical, emotional, medical, etc). If you find you are struggling with this and are not able to find a solution, consider consulting a doctor and/or sex therapist to discuss your concerns.
<p>Low libido (a low sex drive) is something that can happen to both men and women for a variety of reasons. It could be a medical, physical, or emotional issue (or a combination of the three) that prevents you from actively seeking out and engaging in sexual activities. </p><p>Individuals who are experiencing a low sex drive experience reduced sexual interest and few sexual fantasies or thoughts. As a result, you can't actively engage in sexual intimacy with your partner, as much as you may wish that you could. </p><p>If one person in the relationship is struggling with a low sex drive, it can impact both people (and the relationship), causing emotional distance and sexual frustration on both sides. </p><p>However, there are several steps (set out by experts) that you can take if you or your partner are experiencing this struggle.</p><ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
How to boost low libido in men
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1MDI1Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDYxMTY5NH0._u7vEfRhfpTofFWLR6k9TQgR7XoCRI0PQSSC6XlEquA/img.jpg?width=980" id="55f3c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6f283deba8e4978da62652c7823e03ba" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="man sitting on couch frustrated" />Properly managing your stress and anxiety can boost libido in both men and women.
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<p>Struggling with low libido can feel isolating and embarrassing. However, according to a study linked in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 19 percent of participants reported a low libido at the baseline of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/7/2509/2656285" target="_blank">this testosterone study</a>.</p><p><strong>If a male is experiencing low libido, there are several things that could be causing it: </strong></p><ul><li>Physical issues such as low testosterone, prescription medications, alcohol, and drug abuse</li><li>Psychological issues such as depression, stress, relationship tension</li><li>Outside factors such as problems at work, a death in the family, emotional turmoil</li></ul><p><strong>Talk to your partner about what you're experiencing. </strong></p><p>Low libido can be incredibly difficult to talk about with your partner, especially if it's causing problems in the relationship, but it could give you support and help you find alternative ways to connect until you find an answer. </p><p><strong>Check your hormone levels and your health with a doctor. </strong></p><p>According to WebMD, around 28 percent of men with low testosterone also struggle with low libido. Having low or decreased testosterone levels can impact more than just your sex drive, as testosterone plays a few important roles in the body. Testosterone <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/understanding-how-testosterone-affects-men" target="_blank">has also been linked</a> to bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass, and strength. </p><p>Completing a physical and bringing up low libido concerns with your doctor can help you rule out any physical things that could be causing your low sex drive. Perhaps a medication that you're on is giving an unwanted side effect. Medications such as morphine, opioid pain relievers, corticosteroids, and certain antidepressants <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/low-testosterone/conditions-that-cause-low-libido#medications" target="_blank">can impact your libido</a>. You may have the option to be moved to another, or your doctor may insist on checking your testosterone levels.</p><p>According to the American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines, adult men are considered to have low testosterone (or low T) if their levels fall below <a href="https://www.auanet.org/guidelines/testosterone-deficiency-guideline" target="_blank">300 nanograms per deciliter</a>. <a href="https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/low-testosterone/low-testosterone-diagnosis#:~:text=A%20simple%20blood%20test%20can,blood%20test%20in%20the%20morning." target="_blank">A simple blood test</a> will be able to tell your doctor your testosterone levels. </p><p>Consider meeting with a sex therapist or counselor about any relationship struggles that could be impacting your libido. </p><p><strong>Manage your anxiety. </strong></p><p>High levels of anxiety and stress are extremely common barriers to sexual functioning for both men and women. You can manage your anxiety by practicing good sleeping habits, exercising regularly, working to improve your relationship(s), speaking with a therapist, or consulting a doctor about anti-anxiety medications. </p><p><strong>Regular exercise could be key to maintaining proper hormone levels and boosting sexual function. </strong></p><p>Strength training, walking, and swimming may all work to improve sexual function and libido (in both men and women). In fact, <a href="https://www.mdlinx.com/article/5-exercises-scientifically-proven-to-boost-libido/lfc-3510#:~:text=Strength%20training%2C%20Kegels%2C%20yoga%2C,finding%20holds%20in%20habitual%20exercisers." target="_blank">one-time acute exercise sessions have been linked to boosted sexual arousal</a> because of the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. </p>How to boost low libido in women
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU1MDI1NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTAyMDQwMX0.6mhDbzwIAjy5shAQWEE8mxxg0bMgSMdM_ET-84pnT-A/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=42%2C0%2C42%2C0&height=700" id="f5748" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33aa9ece89b1a3af296d5e68fb23e072" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="woman running on pavement in city" />Creating a healthy lifestyle (healthy eating and exercise habits) can help boost libido in both men and women.
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<p>The sexual desires of women naturally fluctuate over the years for various reasons (pregnancy, menopause, illness, life events), and navigating the lows can be incredibly difficult.</p><p><strong>If a female is experiencing low libido, there are several things that could be causing it, such as: </strong></p><ul><li>Physical problems, including medical diseases, medications, where you are in your menstruation cycle, hormone changes, etc. can all be causes of low sex drive in women. </li><li>Many women experience severe changes in their hormones and sex drive during and even years after pregnancy or breast-feeding. </li><li>Lifestyle habits including alcohol or drug consumption or smoking can also dull your sex drive. </li><li>Fatigue or exhaustion are commonly reported problems that impact sex drive among women. </li></ul><p><strong>Communicate with your partner about what you're experiencing. </strong></p><p>According to <a href="http://www.healthywomen.org/sites/default/files/FSD_infographic_mech.pdf" target="_blank">a survey from the National Women's Health Resource Center</a>, 59 percent of women report that low sex drive has had a negative impact on their relationship, with up to 66 percent of women reporting the low sexual desire impacted communication in their relationship. </p><p>Struggling with low sex drive and being unable to find an immediate fix can feel embarrassing and bring up a lot of insecurities - but talking openly about it with your partner can allow you to both understand what's happening and work together to solve the problem. </p><p><strong>What you're eating could also impact your libido. </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27784600" target="_blank">According to a 2015 review study</a>, adding things like maca, tribulus, gingko, and ginseng to your food could help improve sexual function. Additionally, maintaining a healthy (low sugar/high lean protein) diet <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323918#natural-ways-to-boost-libido" target="_blank">can boost your sex drive</a> by promoting proper circulation and heart health. </p><p><strong>Could a good night's sleep help? </strong></p><p><a href="https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/111751/jsm12858.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank">According to a small-scale study</a>, many women explained that a good night's sleep helped increase their sexual desire and arousal the next day. Women who reported longer sleeping times also reported better arousal levels the next day compared to those with shorter sleeping times. </p>When should I consult a doctor about low libido?
<p>Aside from open communication with your partner and lifestyle changes like a healthier diet, proper sleeping habits and managing stress, communication with doctors, sex therapists and counselors can all be extremely helpful in getting to the root of the problem.</p><p><strong>You should consult a doctor about low libido if/when: </strong></p><ul><li>Your libido suddenly drops without any explanation </li><li>Additional symptoms appear, such as high blood pressure, pain, etc.</li><li>Your libido suddenly drops after a surgery, or when you switch to a new medication </li><li>Your low libido is causing relationship problems or psychological distress on you and/or your partner </li></ul><p>Enhancing your sex drive will take time, but it is possible to do if you and your partner are committed to trying new things to boost your libido and keep an open line of communication. </p>
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