Erectile dysfunction and insomnia could be connected: new study

Health

By Brooke Kato

Struggling between the sheets? Experts say sleep quality could be where the blame lies.

A recent Stanford University study uncovered a possible link between erectile dysfunction and insomnia — saying that 58% of men suffering from lack of shuteye were also struggling with repeated failure to launch.

The research was published this month in the journal European Urology Focus. The study worked with 539,109 men who were diagnosed with insomnia, 356,575 of which were treated medically.

“Men diagnosed with insomnia only were found to have a higher risk of developing ED,” the authors wrote.

Even worse, those who were treated for insomnia were also more often treated for erectile dysfunction — suggesting that insomnia treatments may exacerbate ED.

ED affects 30 million American men. The buzz-killing condition is typically associated with age, certain medications, diseases, psychological issues or being overweight or smoking.

Meanwhile, one in three adults worldwide experience insomnia, often caused by stress, medications, medical conditions or intake of caffeine, alcohol or nicotine.

Insomnia can have countless detrimental effects, including a higher risk of accidents due to slow reaction time, mental health disorders, high blood pressure or heart disease.

Experts have touted various sleep methods and foods to catch some z’s, warning against junk food, chocolate, cheese, curry and ice cream.

Meanwhile, bananas, cherries, tomatoes, walnuts and oats have been boasted by sleep gurus as slumber-promoting bites.

This month, one snooze-savvy TikToker shared his secret to shut-eye: A WWII-era military sleep tactic.

The content creator encouraged viewers to “imagine a scanner going down your entire body, starting at the very top.”

“Relax every muscle in your face first, including your cheeks and your tongue,” he advised. “Unclench your jaw and take slow, deep breaths.” 

While continuing to take deep breaths, he instructed eager sleepers to envision every single muscle in the body relaxing.

“Now that you’ve let go of tension in your body, it’s time to do the same with your mind,” continued the user, who admitted he usually falls asleep before he gets to relaxing his legs.