7 benefits of orgasm

Reaching a big O is more than just enhancing sexual pleasure. It can also strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, relieve pain, and even improve sleep.

No matter what you call it—orgasm, orgasm, or upcoming—orgasm with yourself or your partner can increase sexual pleasure and may bring some additional health benefits, such as stress relief or pain relief.

However, research on the benefits of orgasm is limited, especially because everyone's experience is different. "Some people have multiple orgasms, some people have one, some people don't, which is completely normal," Rosala Torrisi, a certified sex therapist and founding director of the Long Island Sex Therapy Institute, told Health.

With this in mind, the following seven benefits are by no means a comprehensive list or guarantee for everyone. But they can bring you surprising physical and mental improvements beyond the realm of the bedroom.

1. Orgasm boosts mood

Reaching an orgasm will release a lot of feel-good hormones into the blood, which will make you feel happier, calmer, and less stressed. Kate White, MD, Master of Public Health, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston University School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Boston Medicine The academic chair of the center's obstetrics and gynecology department told Health.

According to Dr. White, these hormones include:

Oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone", promotes feelings of love and attachment. It is also released during childbirth to help establish baby relationships.

Dopamine triggers a strong sense of reward, desire and pleasure.

Endorphins, a "natural opioid", can cause euphoria and reduce stress.

Serotonin helps regulate mood, appetite and sleep.

Prolactin is the main chemical substance that initiates milk secretion and plays a role in bonding after pregnancy, and it also makes us feel satisfied after orgasm.

Reaching an orgasm may also make you feel more confident, which can further improve your mood, Dr. Logan Levkoff is a certified sex educator and consultant to the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, he told Health.

However, one thing to know is that due to lack of research, it is not clear how long these emotional boosting benefits can last, Dr. White said.

2. Orgasm helps you establish contact with your body

Obtaining an orgasm, especially through masturbation, can reveal what is normal and what is abnormal in your sexual health. "This is one of the few times that people, especially those with vulva, allow themselves to touch their genitals," Torrisi said.

Think of peaking as an opportunity to establish contact with your body so that you can spot any changes that may indicate your physical condition, such as sexually transmitted infections or yeast infections. "Knowing what your body feels, looks or even smells like is really helpful, because if you don't know what your body's standards are, it's really hard to determine when something goes wrong," Levkoff said.

Experiencing orgasm will also make your body feel comfortable. Without this comfort, you may be less willing to share health information with your doctor. Dr. White explained that when someone is unfamiliar or uncomfortable with their genitals, it may cause them to fear pelvic examinations or prevent them from raising concerns to healthcare providers, which may delay critical care and treatment.

For clients with chronic diseases, Torrisi said that orgasm has an additional benefit: it makes them convinced that their body is capable of bringing them happiness.

3. Orgasm teaches you what makes you feel good

If you have not experienced an orgasm, you will not be able to fully explore what makes you disappointed-this may deceive you to lose the sexual pleasure you deserve.

"A lot of people want to get a continuous orgasm through penetration, and the fact is that some people can get a continuous orgasm this way, but most people can't," said Dr. White. If this sounds familiar to you, achieving orgasm through masturbation can give you a clearer picture of the type of stimulation required to achieve a big O.

Dr. White recommends trying sex toys or touching yourself in different ways until you know what is good for you-and when you are with your partner, you can communicate what you like or dislike.

"Knowing that your body has an innate ability to be pleasant, it does not depend on your partner, is an empowerment," Levkoff said. "Know that you don't have to rely on others to make you a sex person or make you feel a certain way."

4. Orgasm strengthens relationships

In addition to building your relationship with yourself, orgasm can also bring you closer to your partner.

A review published in Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology in 2016 found that the concentration of the neurotransmitters oxytocin and prolactin increases during orgasm. Because of this, the study authors believe that there may be a connection between orgasm and the connection with a sexual partner.

Of course, this does not mean that if you and your partner have not reached the top, your relationship will not be strong. But if a sex partner is particularly good at letting you come, you may want to see them again, which will lead to greater opportunities to invest in the relationship, Torrisi said. In addition, knowing that they can bring you happiness may also increase their confidence and satisfaction.

5. Orgasm improves sleep

If you have trouble capturing zzz, please consider using more Os. Levkoff says that many people find that orgasms make them drowsy, which is why they can be an important supplement to your bedtime behavior.

How does an orgasm cause sleepiness? This may be due to the relaxation hormone circulating in your system after reaching its peak. It could also be because orgasm is similar to progressive muscle relaxation, Torrisi said. Progressive muscle relaxation is a relaxation technique that involves squeezing a group of muscles as tightly as possible and then releasing them. Relaxing tension can help people fall asleep, just as muscles contract and relax during orgasm.

Or it may only be conditional. "Some people also develop the habit of having an orgasm before going to bed, so this is part of their sleep routine," Torrisi explained. "So, their bodies know a little bit, oh! It means sleeping."

6. Orgasm maintains pelvic floor muscles

Levkoff says that an orgasm is a series of muscle contractions that can help you maintain or strengthen the pelvic floor. The contraction is the same as the contraction that occurs in Kegel exercises: when you intentionally tighten the pelvic floor muscles, hold it for 3-10 seconds and then loosen it. (Doing Kegel exercises feels like you are urinating.)

Orgasm can also improve pelvic floor health by increasing blood flow to the pelvic area, which helps muscle growth, Sonia Bahlani, MD, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology and pelvic pain in New York, told Health.

According to a previous health article, regular bending of your pelvic floor muscles can increase vaginal lubrication, reduce penetrating pain, and increase the intensity of orgasm for better sex. This is because a stronger pelvic floor can improve blood flow to the genitals and may result in a tighter grip during insertion.

7. Orgasm relieves pain

Dr. White said that it seems that improving mood and sleep does not bring enough benefits, and orgasm-inducing hormones such as oxytocin and endorphins seem to be natural pain relievers.

"Those pleasant sensations often dull painful sensations," Levkoff said, noting that this may be why some people find that orgasm can relieve menstrual pain.

However, for others, getting off the car actually increases menstrual cramps, Torrisi said. This is because orgasm causes uterine contractions, and the uterine contractions you have already experienced will worsen due to your menstrual period.

Feel free to try orgasm as a way to relieve menstrual-related pain or any other pain. Just don't expect it to work like a panacea, because everyone's body is different.