Need an excuse to get a better night’s rest? How about better sex? A new study has found a correlation between sleep quality and sex quality; specifically, it suggests a link between higher insomnia symptoms and decreased sexual function in postmenopausal women.

The study, now published online in Menopause, revealed that sleep problems can also interfere with a woman's level of sexual satisfaction. Although this correlation existed for all women, it significantly increased with age. For example, older women were less likely to be sexually active if they slept fewer than 7 to 8 hours per night compared with younger women, and women over 70 years who slept fewer than 5 hours were 30 percent less likely to be sexually active than women sleeping 7 to 8 hours.

Read: Benefits Of Sex: 5 Health Reasons To Make Love, Even When You're Not In The Mood

"Women and healthcare providers need to recognize the link between menopause symptoms and inadequate sleep and their effects on sexual satisfaction," explained Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, a researcher involved in the study, in a recent statement. "There are effective treatment options to help with sleep disruption and sexual satisfaction, including hormone therapy, which this study confirmed to be effective at menopause for symptomatic women."

The study is based on a survey of nearly 94,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. According to the research, 56 percent of participants reported being somewhat or very satisfied with their current sexual activity, and 52 percent reported partnered sexual activity within the last year. Insomnia prevalence was 31 percent.

While sexual satisfaction may seem like the least problem among women not getting enough sleep, research suggests that one’s sex life is closely correlated with their overall life satisfaction, and can play an important role in our health. According to Psychology Today, sexual satisfaction is strongly related to overall good relationships and people in more intimate relationships, with good communication and mutual support, experience greater sexual satisfaction. In addition, being more satisfied with your sex life leads to more sex, and as many studies have shown, sex can be extremely healthy. For example, Healthline reported sex can help to lower blood pressure, burn calories, increase heart health, strengthen muscles, and reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. Of course, increased sexual satisfaction usually leads individuals to have more sex.

Source: Pinkerton J, et al. Association of sleep disturbance and sexual function in postmenopausal women. Menopause . 2017

See Also:

Temporary Sexual Abstinence: 6 Surprising Ways Your Body Changes After You Stop Having Regular Sex

How Long Should Sex Last? Average Time In Bed May Be Linked To Penis Shape