Question
How does stress and not sleeping well affect male fertility?
Answer
Sleep deprivation can cause irritability, poor concentration and mood changes. These can affect your fertility by reducing interest in sex, hampering communication with your partner, or just making you too tired.
Stress can release naturally produced chemicals that interfere with sperm production. Depression can result from stress, thereby affecting libido (sex drive), and cause erectile dysfunction, which can impact fertility.
Your fertility is best when you’re healthy, which includes: avoiding toxins (alcohol, smoking, drugs, environmental toxins and plastics etc); eating well, exercising, being a healthy weight, and making sure you have good ‘sleep hygiene’ so that the body rests.
Magdalena Simonis AM
General Practitioner
A/Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is a General Practitioner with interests in health equity, chronic disease prevention and preconception health. She’s a representative of the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) and has represented the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in national health policy development and at senate enquiries.
