Why men fall asleep soon after sex?

It’s a well known story for many couples. Barely a few seconds after sex, the man has fallen asleep. This may not leave any time for ‘postplay’ (activities such as cuddling etc, which we coined as a new term!)

Why does this happen?

Well, there’s a fair bit of science to be referred to so hold tight.

Well, it’s bedtime, isn’t it?
Most sex happens at night. Just before sleep time too, and so it should not be all that surprising. However, it’s bedtime for the man and the woman, and the difference in time to sleep for both is what is of interest.

Getting to orgasm requires letting go of fears and anxiety, PET scans have shown. With those gone, one is in a state of extreme relaxation and sleep simply follows. Might the orgasm gap (women experience orgasms at a much lower rate than men) explain the difference. Yes, to significant extent.

Enter Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone released during ejaculation, and higher levels of prolactin are associated with sleep. It is interesting that levels of prolactin are different when ejaculation happens during intercourse, as compared to masturbation!

Long story short, there’s not much wrong with men drifting off right after sex, but we do appeal to men to think about their ‘postplay’ routine (cuddling, holding hands, whatever works for you) as that is key to be a good lover.

And to be a good lover you can fight off sleep for a few minutes, surely.