8 surprising benefits of playing with yourself

We don’t have to convince you that masturbating can feel great. That’s a given. But did you know it can do a lot more for you than bring you to bliss? Treat yourself to these surprising benefits of playing with yourself.

1. Happiness with or without orgasm

According to a 2016 study masturbation can indirectly cause you to feel happier and better able to regulate your mood. The study found that an orgasm may replenish your body with a higher concentration of oxytocin and dopamine. And as you might know those two have been linked to increased happiness in multiple studies.

But even without the orgasm, masturbating can still make you feel jollier. In an interview with mbg relationships certified sex therapist Holly Richmond explains that “masturbating in and of itself, with or without an orgasm, can make you happier”. That’s because it activates different parts of the brain, like the thalamus, that are responsible for pleasure. That’s not all though. It also seems to decrease activity in other parts of the brain that are linked to anxiety and fear.

2. Beauty sleep

If you have trouble falling asleep, why not try some solo action to get a proper rest. According to sexologist Rebecca Alvarez Story an orgasm could get you to fall asleep faster. Remember that oxytocin we talked about earlier? Story explains that the hormone has been shown to make you drowsier. In addition to that an orgasm also causes your body to release norepinephrine and serotonin, which according to Story improves your REM cycles.

3. Battle against period cramps

If you’ve never had period cramps, you’re one of the luckiest women on earth. But unfortunately a lot of us suffer from cramps in varying degrees, with some women going through hell every single month. It seems that self pleasuring might be able to help soothe period cramps. Those orgasmic neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin along with oxytocin could help ease the pain, says Richmond. And not only period torture, try masturbation next time you have a headache or your muscles hurt. It’s worth a shot and you get happier in the process.

4. Pleasure yourself to confidence

Did you know self pleasuring can also make you a more confident woman? You get to know your body better, develop self-awareness and even self-acceptance, which gives you a big confidence boost. And not only in the bedroom. Sex coach Pam Costa says that she’s seen someone gain the confidence to ask someone out and ask for a raise thanks to regular masturbation.

5. Better sex with your partner

Every body is different and your hot spots aren’t necessarily the same as someone else’s. That’s why it’s not really fair to expect a partner to intuitively know what gives you the most pleasure. By masturbating you get to know your body better and figure out what really feels good. With that knowledge in hand, you’re better able to communicate to your partner what you like, which makes sex more pleasureable for both of you.

6. Improving your memory the fun way

Looking for a fun way to improve your cognitive performance? Try masturbating. No seriously, it seems having sex frequently is great for your mind. At least according to a 2017 study published in the Journals of Gerontology. In the study 73 people over the age of 50 were subjected to a conitive assesment and were asked how often they engaged in sexual activities. The results say we should have sex more often, as the participants that did scored a lot higher on verbal fluency and memory tests. Good to know.

7. Sexy beauty secret

Do you know what other levels rise in your body after an orgasm, apart from the feel good neurotransmitters? Estrogen levels, according to a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. And do you know what estrogen can do for you? It’s known to help give you luscious locks and healthier looking skin. Then there’s also the after-sex glow. Great way to treat your skin.

8. Masturbation as stress reliever

The world can be a very stressful place and if you don’t watch out, stress can cause all sorts of horror, ranging from distorted sleep to your hair falling out and getting a burnout. So we definitely want to avoid feeling stressed and having some alone time with your sex toys is a pleasurable way to get rid of it. So we know that having an orgasm releases oxytocin. Another benefit of the hormone is that it decreases cortisol levels in your body, which in turn decreases your stressed out feelings.

Source: mbg relationships