# Does sex make men sleepy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 31, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960 "2014-03-31T03:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BCDeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@BCDeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BCDeb)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/1 "2014-03-31T03:46:43Z")
I mean, obviously… It makes women sleepy, too. It is just the release and relaxation that results from orgasm. Do we really need research on this? * * * LINK TO COLUMN: [Why do men feel sleepy after sex? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1140/why-do-men-feel-sleepy-after-sex) ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/2 "2014-03-31T13:00:52Z")
> [@BCDeb](#): > > I mean, obviously… > It makes women sleepy, too. > It is just the release and relaxation that results from orgasm. > Do we really need research on this? Are you asking for volunteers? ---
**Author:** ![timmZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@timmZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timmZero)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/3 "2014-04-01T08:03:10Z")
The phenomenon is more likely to occur when an individual takes a resting position immediately after orgasmic sex. It more often manifests in male individuals than in female because of differences of innervation by sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia of the autonomic nervous system during sexual intercourse. For female subjects, in the moments prior to orgasm, sensory stimulation is under the influence of the parasympathetic ganglia. At the moment of orgasm control suddenly switches to the sympathetic ganglia. This causes a transition of from deeply relaxed and happy to amazingly excited and happy. For male subjects, the exact opposite is true. Prior to orgasm, sensory stimulation is under the guidance of the sympathetic nervous system. At the moment of orgasm control suddenly switches to the parasympathetic ganglia. If the orgasm is immediately followed by a physical state of rest, parasympathetic rebound is likely to occur. This sends the subject into a deep state of relaxation often resulting in sleepiness and happiness. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/4 "2014-04-01T11:07:46Z")
Hmm. The original column was from 1995, sounds like there’s been some advances in the last 20 years. I’ll put your info before Cecil, **timmZero** , and see if it’s time for an update. ---
**Author:** ![timmZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@timmZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timmZero)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/5 "2014-04-01T11:25:01Z")
There are a couple of grammatical errors. I was unable to edit post-posting, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/6 "2014-04-01T15:44:04Z")
> [@timmZero](#): > > There are a couple of grammatical errors. I was unable to edit post-posting, for some reason. Posts here may only be edited within 5 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/7 "2014-04-01T18:53:42Z")
> [@timmZero](#): > > There are a couple of grammatical errors. I was unable to edit post-posting, for some reason. If the errors are serious (f’rinstance, if you typed “now” instead of “not”), email a Moderator and we’ll be glad to fix 'em for you. Otherwise, we’ve all just learned to be more patient with other people’s tpos. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/8 "2014-04-04T19:27:19Z")
At the strictly anecdotal level, most of the women I’ve made love with needed/wanted a nap worse than I did by the time we were done. I’ve never (that I remember) made love with someone and had them perk up and chat. Women I’ve been with generally want to be held afterwards, but they’re ready for some rest. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/9 "2014-04-04T20:29:15Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Otherwise, we’ve all just learned to be more patient with other people’s tpos. You must read a different board than the rest of us. Oh, and \*typos. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/10 "2014-04-04T21:30:15Z")
> [@picker](#): > > Oh, and \*typos. 🙂 You think that wasn’t deliberat? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/11 "2014-04-04T21:32:31Z")
In the only case I know of, (mine) no it does not, in fact much like drinking, it makes me much more energetic than I was before sex. I know…weird. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/12 "2014-04-04T21:37:44Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > You think that wasn’t deliberat? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/13 "2014-04-05T08:09:27Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > In the only case I know of, (mine) no it does not, in fact much like drinking, it makes me much more energetic than I was before sex. > > I know…weird. This is usually the case with me too. ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/14 "2014-04-05T15:00:17Z")
After an orgasm, I usually feel sleepy – never energetic. In fact, there have been plenty of times that I’ve used it as a way to help me fall asleep and it worked quite well. In the afterglow, those feel-good chemicals are coursing through my veins and I feel very relaxed. Often I fall asleep even if it’s the middle of the day and I was fighting to stay awake. But I might only fall asleep for a few minutes. When people say orgasms make them feel energetic, I just scratch my head in disbelief; it’s totally outside of my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/15 "2014-04-05T16:26:47Z")
As per sbunny8, the feel-good chemicals are coursing. If I reset and don’t move around, the continue to do their job longer and yes, I feel sleepy. If I start moving around, my body seems to flush them away rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/16 "2014-04-05T18:46:07Z")
Ya know, if people are going to share their personal anecdotes, that’s great. But given the subject, they might consider not leaving their gender ambiguous in order to at least give the anecdotes \*some \*value. Just sayin’… ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/17 "2014-04-05T19:53:14Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > If the errors are serious (f’rinstance, if you typed “now” instead of “not”), email a Moderator and we’ll be glad to fix 'em for you. Otherwise, we’ve all just learned to be more patient with other people’s tpos. > [@picker](#): > > Oh, and \*typos. 🙂 > [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > You think that wasn’t deliberat? so you were faking it? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/18 "2014-04-07T19:31:57Z")
I know I’m not supposed to gush, but that was a particularly funny column of Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/19 "2014-04-08T15:06:44Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > I know I’m not supposed to gush, but that was a particularly funny column of Cecil. There’s nothing wrong with gushing. It’s common for a lot of women, and can be a very satisfying form of release. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sex-make-men-sleepy/684960/20 "2014-04-09T14:36:02Z")
Just be sure to wipe your keyboard and mouse off afterwards.