HEALTH & WELLNESS
Is sleep apnea affecting
your sex life?
Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea that
affects the sex lives of both bed partners. In
many cases, they choose to cope by sleeping
in separate bedrooms due to the intolerable
noise. This separation at bedtime is a recipe
for dwindling desire and sexual frustration.
A third of the adult population is affected
Dr.
Michael
DR. MICHAEL
Doblin
DOBLIN
by sleep apnea, and a great many men and
women have sexual dysfunction as a result.
A study in Germany in 2009 found that 70% of men who
were diagnosed with sleep apnea also suffered from erec-
tile dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine reported
that women aged 28-64 with sleep apnea were more likely
to suffer from loss of libido and sexual dysfunction.
Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that occurs when a
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person’s airway collapses, causing disruptions in breath-
ing during sleep and leading to lower oxygen levels and
repeated waking during the night. This repeated waking
inhibits the body’s ability to produce and process testos-
terone, which is responsible for libido in men and wom-
en. REM sleep (dream stage of sleep) is often decreased
or absent in people with obstructive sleep apnea, and this
stage is important for the production of testosterone in
men and women. So, it is both the quality and the quanti-
ty of sleep that is important for the production of testos-
terone.
Oxygen deprivation is a known cause of diminished
energy and vitality, decreasing sexual desire in both men
and women. In women, lack of oxygen causes injury in
nerve tissues and in the lining of blood vessels causing