Many of us know that the benefits of reducing or giving up alcohol all together include feeling less stressed, feeling physically healthier, and more alert but did you know that cutting out booze can also make you better in bed?
According to Dr Babak Ashrafi, a GP that specialises in sexual health, there are quite a few bedroom benefits to cutting out booze that may make you want to join the 21% of Brits that have cut out alcohol entirely over the past six months.
How giving up alcohol can improve your sex life
According to Ashrafi: “Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant with short-term and long-term effects on sexual function.
“It impairs coordination, judgement, and reaction time, leading to difficulties in achieving and maintaining erections in men.
“For women, it can increase vaginal dryness, causing discomfort during sex and reducing your libido. While it initially increases sexual desire, excessive consumption decreases libido and arousal over a prolonged period.”
Yikes.
This may be part of what is causing 1 in 5 people assigned male at birth to experience erectile dysfunction.
Giving up alcohol may also improve intimacy between you and your sexual partner. This is because, according to Ashrafi, giving up alcohol can reduce emotional and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.
He adds that avoiding alcohol means that individuals may experience increased energy and stamina, allowing for “more satisfying and prolonged sexual experiences.”
Giving up alcohol will help you feel more confident in the bedroom
Many of us consider having a few drinks to be ‘liquid courage’ and while Ashrafi acknowledges that alcohol reduces inhibitions, he adds that it isn’t really a long-term solution to confidence issues.
Instead, you may find that confidence comes with the benefits of drinking less. He adds: “With lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression, your mental health can improve, making you feel happier generally.”
This correlates with studies that have found that alcohol is only a temporary solution to confidence issues and is more likely to actually reduce confidence.
Other health benefits of giving up alcohol
Still need one final nudge? We’ve got you. According to NHS Better Health, the health benefits of giving up alcohol are:
- Feeling better in the mornings
- Being less tired and more energetic
- Better-looking skin
- Saving money
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower risk of stroke, hypertension, cancer, and liver disease
- Lower cholesterol levels
- Better mood, memory, and quality of sleep
NHS Better Health also has a range of resources to help you cut down your drinking.
Help and support:
- If you need help with a drinking problem, call the Alcoholics Anonymous national helpline for free on 0800 9177 650 or email help@aamail.org.
- For advice on how to reduce drinking, visit Drinkaware’s website or Alcohol Change UK.
- Find alcohol addiction services near you using this NHS tool.