Here's How Erratic Sleep Patterns Ultimately Affect Your Vaginal Health

1. Sleep Deprivation Can Cause a Hormonal Imbalance

I feel like lately, something that I have been saying more than usual to my female clients is that they should get their hormonal levels checked. Whether it’s due to them suddenly having a low libido, erratic mood swings, and/or feeling exhausted throughout the day (for many days at a time), once a woman is over the age of 35, it can never hurt to see if she is in a later stage of perimenopause than she might think (because you can be there anywhere from a few months to a decade with the average age of menopause being 51) — and when you are going through that season of life, your hormones are definitely going to be a bit off-kilter.

Know what else can get your hormones to be topsy-turvy? Sleep deprivation. When you don’t get enough rest, that can throw off the balance between your estrogen and progesterone levels — and when these are low for a significant period of time, that can put your vagina into a state of atrophy where your vagina starts to become thinner and potential the walls of it can become inflamed.

2. Sleep Deprivation Can Cultivate Vaginal Dryness

Something else that can happen when your hormone levels aren’t where they should be is it can cause the stress hormone known as cortisol to spike to the point where it keeps your sex hormones from functioning what they should. As a direct result, that can lead to vaginal dryness. This is especially common in menopausal and post-menopausal women.

3. Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Irregular Periods

If you haven’t been getting 6-8 hours of sleep on a consistent basis, and it seems like your period isn’t as predictable as it used to be, please don’t just shrug that off. There is plenty of research out here that says if you don’t get enough shut-eye, that can result in inconsistent menstrual cycles and even light bleeding in between them. In fact, one reputable study says that as much as 46 percent of women who have erratic sleep patterns end up with an irregular cycle.

The main reason is that a lack of sleep puts stress on the body; plus, it can disrupt how your body produces melatonin — and since melatonin helps to regulate your period…well, I’m sure you can see how this all ties in together.

4. Sleep Deprivation Can Make You More Susceptible to Infections

Been getting more yeast infections lately? How much have you been prioritizing rest? Yep, if you’re not getting enough sleep, something else that can happen is you can find yourself more susceptible to vaginal-related infections. And just how is that? Long story short, plenty of data backs the fact that a lack of sleep can compromise your immune system.

That’s because sleep helps your body to release proteins known as cytokines, and they are what help to ward off inflammation and infections (including bacterial vaginosis because the more rest you have, the less stressed your system is and the less likely it is that type of infection will be an issue for you). So, if you’re sick of buying Monistat or taking a Diflucan pill, think about your sleep patterns; they could be why you have to focus on those things so much right through here.

5. Sleep Deprivation Can Create Fertility Complications

Two of the points that I’ve already touched on actually help to emphasize how sleep deprivation affects fertility because if your hormones are all over the place and your period is irregular, both things can affect ovulation and conception. What might surprise you the most, though, when it comes to this particular point is the fact that if your sleep patterns are erratic because you don’t know how to put your phone down at night, believe it or not, the blue light that comes from your device can impact your melatonin levels.

Why that is relevant when it comes to fertility is because melatonin is a hormone that actually helps to protect your eggs. The more you know, chile.

6. Sleep Deprivation Can Tank Your Libido

One of the main reasons why I’ve written articles for the platform like, “These 12 Tips Will Improve Your Sleep Patterns. And Your Sex Life.” and “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand” is because it’s a scientific fact that sleep and sex influence one another in some pretty profound ways — and yes, when you’re not getting 6-8 hours of sleep on a consistent basis, your libido can also suffer. A lack of energy, a drop in testosterone (for men and women), less of a desire for sex — these are just some of the things that can happen when you’re not getting enough zzz’s.

So, if you’ve been having a ho-hum attitude about sex lately, ask yourself if your sleep patterns could be the culprit.

7. Sleep Deprivation Can Make It More Difficult to Orgasm

Last one. Even if you’re up for having sex, if you’re not climaxing as much as you usually do, a lack of sleep can cause that as well. According to science, sleep deprivation can impact your sexual and genital response (including how easy it is for you to get sexually aroused), compromise how blood circulates throughout your system (and the better your blood circulation is, the more intense your orgasms will be) and how ultimately satisfying your sexual experiences will be. So, if orgasms have been pretty hit-or-miss as of late, how much sleep have you been getting, sis? Straight up.

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Honestly, I’m hoping that before you even read this, you were being intentional about prioritizing rest. If not, though, I hope this convinces you to start. Knowing that less rest can cause vaginal itching or no orgasms? CHILE, PLEASE. You better catch some zzz’s!

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