It’s normal to lose interest in sex from time to time, especially as you age, and due to stress of our daily activities. In fact, it may not be a big deal to you if you’re comfortable with it. But if changes in your libido, is affecting your self image — or causing an issue with your partner — then it might be time to know the root causes.
There’s actually no “normal” or “healthy” libido level according to research, though the levels differ from each person and changes can be due to different reasons, like medications, relationship status or so many other reasons. It actually all depends on each woman; when you feel yours is lower or higher than usual, it’s due to a cause and you need to know what it is.
Low sex drive in itself isn’t detrimental to your health, but if the condition persists then it could be an indication of something more serious. Now, there are varying things that could cause low libido, but let’s talk about some top 10 causes of low sex drive everyone woman should know!
1. You’re not getting quality sleep
Sleeping doesn’t just make us feel less tired, it is vital for our general wellbeing. Research shows that women who have more sleep have higher levels of sexual desire and arousal the next day.
For instance, in the case of people on vacation! I haven’t had one, but if you have or you’ve seen it in movies, you notice they get to do it more because they sleep for long hours and are just relaxeddd. Are you super stressed and experiencing a lower libido? Might just be a sign to go on that vacay and get some Vitamin D!
2. Sex is painful
If sex is painful, of course you would want to avoid it. Painful sex is common among women, and it can be due to a number of factors, from vagina dryness to skipping foreplay. It can be as a result of more serious conditions, read more about it on the blog post shared.
Read Also: Reasons why sex may be painful and everything else.
3. Your relationship isn’t in a great place
If you and your partner aren’t in a good place or you aren’t happy with them, sorting the issue out might be key before trying to have any sexual desires towards each other. Most of the time you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with them, and that could be the cause of your low sex drive.
4. Your medications could be the cause
Certain medications like antidepressants and other prescriptions can affect your sex drive by lowering your sexual desires as side effects of usage. If you notice this, you can talk to your doctor to maybe request for a different medication or to let them know if what you’re experiencing is normal.
5. You’re putting too much pressure on yourself
Sometimes, putting too much pressure on yourself to have sex when you aren’t ready for it could be a cause of low sex drive. You know you don’t want it, but you’re trying to do it to please the man or whatever.
Putting pressure on yourself can also come in the form of being insecure about your body and feeling pressured about what your partner thinks about your body, which could make you not want to always have sex or reducing your desire for it. The key here is to love your body and don’t try to do it when you don’t feel ready.
6. Your hormones are all over the place
Hormones control our sex drive. A change in libido can be due to hormonal fluctuations, it’s best to see your doctor if you’re having serious imbalances.
It could be because you just had a kid, on new birth control medications or other reasons. Kindly see your doctor to know if the hormonal changes are normal.
7. You don’t exercise enough
Exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, it’s also been proven to have an effect in the bedroom. That’s because it has amazing effects on your cardiovascular health, blood flow, and overall mood, which are all key factors in a healthy sex drive.
Feeling less sexual desires? You might just need to exercise!
8. You have underlying health conditions
If your libido used to be higher and it’s reduced due to no reason you’ve noticed, it could be due to underlying health conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, high blood pressure, mental health disorders and other serious conditions. It’s best to see your doctor when you notice these changes, it could be nothing or could just be an onset detection that would prevent a lot.
9. You’re just seriously tired
Having a busy lifestyle that wears you out and coming at the end of the day to a partner that expects sex can be petty. When you’re tired and stressed, you probably won’t be interested in sex at all and that’s normal.
It’s best to have a way around it with your partner, sex is even better when you’re up for it and in the mood for it. Lower sex drive caused by tiredness isn’t an issue, and you’d be back in the mood when you’re more energised. Except it’s more serious and doesn’t get better, then you might need to see your doctor.
9. You recently had a baby
Though childbirth is beautiful and almost everyone wants to experience it, it can really do a number on your sex life. The stress, lack of sleep, surgical procedures you could have gone through in the process can put a toll on your sex life.
Did you have a baby recently? Might be why your sex drive is low. It would get better and soon you’d be back in the game! Except it goes on for too long, then see your gynaecologist!
10. You have trauma related to sex
It’s very common among people that have a history of sexual abuse to suffer PTSD when it comes to sex. The act or process leading to the act might bring back bad memories they’re trying to forget or have tried to suppress, which would inevitably reduce their drive for sex generally.
Fear of sex due to past trauma is one of the causes of vaginismus, you can read more on it here. If you experience PTSD symptoms when it comes to intimacy, you might need to see a therapist or your gyno.
How to get your sex drive back
We can’t talk about the causes without talking about ways to improve them. Some of these activities have proven to help:
- Managing your stress and anxiety levels.
- Introducing or engaging in non sexual intimacy with your partner.
- Doing things that make you feel sexy and confident
- Spending more time on foreplay and other things you used to like.
- Improving your sleep quality
- Cutting back on alcohol, smoking or drugs use.
- Exercising more.
In conclusion, there are so many reasons that could be causing your lower sex drive, but from this post we’ve talked about 10 of them and how to get back your sex drive.
I’m not a professional and my write up is based on research, incase you’re having low sex drive due to any of the reasons I mentioned or I left out, kindly take a trip to your doctor’s if the condition is affecting your life or your relationship!
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You should also check out other health related posts👇🏾
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