For many, the idea of having sex the day after a heavy drinking session is repulsive. Your breath is hot, your head is pounding, and you stink.
But for a large portion of us — mostly men — our libido skyrockets when we’re hungover.
“Why do I get so excited when I’m hungover?” ” reads a Reddit post: “There must be a science to this. I always feel like a wild animal after a night of drinking.
Another reads: “Why am I so horny when I’m hungover, regardless of how much sex I had the night before?” Has anyone else experienced this and know why? »
There are hundreds of similar posts on online forums, and the “hangover horn phenomenon” has baffled doctors because of its unexpected nature.
Dr Sanam Hafeez, a New York-based neuropsychologist, told DailyMail.com that having sex while hungover “may seem counterintuitive”, but the effects of the night before’s alcohol carry over the next day , making you feel more sexually adventurous.
Having sex releases hormones that help reduce pain and improve mood – which can be helpful with a hangover leading to headaches and body aches and anxiety.
It’s a widely accepted fact that being drunk makes people frisky because it relaxes them and lowers their inhibitions, and it temporarily increases levels of dopamine – known as the happy hormone – in the brain. .
And Dr. Hafeez said these physiological changes fuel the libido surge caused by a hangover.
She said: “Chronic alcohol use disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.
“As the body attempts to restore these levels to normal during withdrawal, fluctuations in mood and arousal can occur, potentially leading to increased sexual desire.”
About 12 hours after you stop drinking and a hangover begins to set in, dopamine levels begin to drop.
While depressed dopamine levels can lead to low libido and sexual dysfunction, hungover people seek sex in an attempt to increase this hormone level and feel better.
Sex triggers the release of dopamine, as well as other mood-enhancing chemicals like endorphins and oxytocin.
Endorphins are chemicals in the brain activated by sex that have natural properties similar to opiates.
They help reduce pain and improve mood – which can be helpful with hangovers leading to headaches and body aches and anxiety.
Studies have also shown that pain can be significantly reduced by having sex or having an orgasm.
And it doesn’t have to be with a partner. Additional research has shown that self-pleasure can also help relieve pain.
Sex can also reduce levels of cortisol, the main stress hormone, helping to alleviate unease and worry the next day.
Research on libido during a hangover is very limited. One of the first detailed studies came from the University of Washington and the Kinsey Institute and found that a combination of factors were at play.
Scientists tested men’s ability to follow instructions to control erections when watching porn while drunk and found that men who had been drinking had a harder time controlling their arousal.
They found that drunk men performed worse than sober ones when following instructions to get an erection or remaining limp while watching X-rated content.
Intoxicated men who were told to remain flaccid actually had more intense erections than those who were specifically told to “rise to the occasion.”
Mr. William George, lead author of the study, said Men’sHealth, this effect could carry over to the next morning.
If a man had drunk excessively the night before, the alcohol might not have completely left his system by the time he woke up, even if he felt sober.
Thus, the lack of erectile control observed in the study may be responsible for the unexpected desire the next morning.
Whether a man or a woman, sexual desire may increase the morning after a big party due to a phenomenon known as alcoholic myopia.
This is the scientific language of tunnel vision – when a person focuses on one thought and ignores peripheral information.
So if the idea of sex comes to mind, that might be the only thing you can focus on until you scratch that itch.
One Reddit user posted: “Sex is the only thing I can think about and it’s the number one priority of the day, no matter what happens that day.”
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“Nothing better than hangover orgasms,” one Reddit user posted – to which another replied: “I can confirm, I just had one.”
Another poster wrote: “I’m the same and I’m not a young man anymore, but if I’m really hungover I can jerk off 10 or 12 times in less than six hours.” Hell, I even finished and was going to do it again in less than a minute.
Sexologist Emily Morse said: “For a few minutes you feel something other than a bad headache and sour stomach.
“You are temporarily freed from the purgatory of your physical hangover, which makes regular sexual sensations feel like a godsend.”
Similar to the search for dopamine, Dr. Hafeez said people who are hungover may turn to sex for comfort or distraction, which could provide temporary relief from hangover symptoms.
Finally, Dr. Hafeez said that societal expectations could have an influence.
She told this website: “Cultural attitudes and social norms regarding alcohol consumption and gender can influence individual behaviors.
“In some cultures or social circles, drinking alcohol and engaging in sexual activity may be closely linked or considered acceptable forms of leisure, leading some people to associate the two activities, even when they have the hangover.”
Whatever the reason, Dr Hafeez said having sex “is unlikely to address the underlying physiological causes of hangovers”, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, poor sleep and toxic byproducts of alcohol.
She recommends staying hydrated, eating nutritious foods, and getting enough rest.
