Ayushmann Khurrana with Shubh Mangal Saavdhan might have made erectile dysfunction a topic of discussion in the polite society that often shies away from human flaws, however, there is so much more to erectile dysfunction than what meets the eye.

The New England Journal of Medicine defines erectile dysfunction as the persistent inability of a man to achieve and maintain an erection for sexual intercourse. Science has enlisted various psychological, neurological and hormonal causes of erectile dysfunction but its causes manifest itself in more than a unique shape and form.

One of the lesser-known causes of erectile dysfunction is sleep disorder, and that’s what we will explore here today. Various sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia are associated with patients who have erectile dysfunction.

As children, we were often taught that early to bed and early to rise is the way of life, and we might have been rigid followers of that as well. But as soon as the stubborn teenage and adulthood came in rolling, we became masters of our own will and creatures of reckless habits. The sleeping pattern was one of the first things that the majority of us managed to destroy.

Irregular sleeping pattern gave rise to sleeping disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy. Our everyday lives are induced with constant stress at workplace, home and perpetually everywhere. Leading stressful lives is one of the significant reasons for sleeping disorders.

Men transcending from their prime age into the midlife and beyond often encounter a shift in their sexual health, sometimes for better and more so for worse, which can result in dysfunction. The fluctuation of hormonal levels and severe decrease in the levels of testosterone may lead to loss of libido and even erectile dysfunction.

Sleep is vital for both physical and mental health. Sleep disorders and their effects have finally caught the fancy of science and medicine. Earlier sleep disorders were not considered a cause of erectile dysfunction. But due to advancement in study and research, The World Journal of Men’s Health has observed that a consistent pattern of sleep disorder can be traced in the health history of patients suffering from erectile dysfunctions.

There still isn’t enough scientific research drawn on the parallel pattern of sleep disorder and erectile dysfunction but a significant amount of studies focusing on men’s sexual health has pointed towards the co-relation that cannot be ignored any longer.

There is a long road ahead of research and revelations on erectile dysfunction and sleep disorders. We all might have heard the phrase, “prevention is better than cure”, right? So a quick tip men, sort your life and manage your sleeping pattern if you wish to prevent any unforeseeable complications in your sexual health.

References 1. pISSN: 2287-4208 / eISSN: 2287-4690 World J Mens Health Published online August 14, 2018 https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.180045 https://wjmh.org/Synapse/Data/PDFData/2074WJMH/wjmh-36-e29.pdf 2. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200006153422407