Sex or sleep: What would you choose?

If you have a partner, do you often find yourself stuck in this nightly dilemma of sex or sleep? Well, if our Lifestyle survey is to be believed, 80 per cent people chose sleep over sex. If you are someone who would like to know if choosing sleep over sex is normal, let us tell you, it is.

Lack of sleep can make you groggy the next day and also hinder your concentration levels. Sleep issues also lead to weight gain, and compromise your immunity over a period of time. So it is absolutely normal to choose sleep over sex. But mind you, sex is also a big deal if you have a bed partner. It comes with its own set of benefits. It cuts down on stress and also helps you strengthen your relationship with your partner (in a big way).

But what is better, sex or sleep? We spoke to experts and found out that the answer is both. If you are not happy with your sex life, try some sleep to relax your mind and have an open mind for sex. On the other hand, if you are not getting enough sleep, try sex. Sex releases happy hormones and in fact is also used as part of sleep therapy.

Sex approximately burns 300 calories in an hour, which is close to the amount of calories you burn when you go out for a 30-minute walk. How else does sex benefit you? It helps fresh blood reach your organs and helps remove toxins, which can lead to fatigue. It also balances your good and bad cholesterol.

Sex also releases a hormone DHEA, which helps the immune system, strengthens bone health, and also repairs tissues. It even acts as an antidepressant and pumps better heart function. What's more? Regular sex helps maintain prostate health for longer.

According to data released by fitness watch company FitBit in 2017, Indians were ranked among the poorest sleepers in the world. Adequate sleep is important for our body to function properly. Lack of sleep can wreck your brain function. It can even disrupt your muscles from fully relaxing, affecting regular body functions, thereby increasing your chances of heart disease and other lifestyle disorders. Moreover, people who do not get enough sleep, tend to eat more calories than their counterparts who clock in adequate hours of sleep.

This clearly shows that whether you choose sleep before sex or sex before sleep, they both are important! In fact, sleep can be a good mean to get better sex and vice versa.