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Psychologist issues advice to people having sex between 10.30pm and 11.30pm

Dr Michael Breus, known as the Sleep Doctor, has shared his advice on when to have sex based on hormone levels and the body's natural instincts

[Two individuals are resting in a bed, covered by a white duvet. They are lying in a side-by-side position, with their heads hidden beneath the blanket.]

A psychologist has warned when is the best time to have sex(Image: Getty Images)

A psychologist has delivered some eye-opening guidance for anyone getting frisky between 10.30pm and 11.30pm. Dr Michael Brues, dubbed the Sleep Doctor, reveals that most couples tend to get intimate just before hitting the hay.

However, Michael warns that our body's natural "hormone profile doesn't look too good" during those late evening hours. He reckons the optimal time for bedroom antics is actually first thing in the morning.

That's when our hormone levels - including oestrogen, testosterone and cortisol - are at their peak, whilst melatonin remains low. During an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Michael explained: "Most people are intimate between 10.30 and 11.30 at night, that was a survey we did so it makes a lot of sense.

"Here's what's interesting, your hormone profile doesn't look too good for 11.30 at night for having sex. In order to have successful sex, you want to have estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, adrenaline and cortisol all to be high and melatonin to be low.

"What do you think your hormone profile looks like at 11.30 at night? It's literally the opposite, melatonin is high and all those other things are low.

[Dr Michael Breus]

Dr Michael Breus has urged people to do one thing if they wake up needing the loo(Image: Getty Images)

"That's hint number one as to when would probably be the best time to have sex. Number two, if you happen to be having sex with somebody who was born biologically male, what do most men wake up with? An erection.

"If that's not mother nature telling you to use that thing then I don't know what is, right? So when you start to look at it and do the surveys, we found that people actually had greater connection and performance in their sex when they have sex in the morning."

Michael quipped that it's wise to "brush your teeth and throw in a little mouthwash" beforehand, but declared it's the "perfect time" for intimacy. Research from 2005 involving university students revealed that the majority engaged in sexual activity between 11pm and 1am.

The study determined that various elements influence when couples choose to be intimate, such as employment, household responsibilities, and "partner availability". Other participants, however, indicated they "feel more sexual" during evening hours.

[couple in bed]

Two-thirds reckon that the moments after sex are a key part of intimacy(Image: Getty Images)

Roughly 16 percent of survey respondents simply found themselves being intimate with their partner because "they were in bed anyway". The researchers concluded: "Although human adults seem to find opportunities for sex at practically any time of the day, most sexual encounters occur around bedtime (11 pm to 1 am). A smaller peak in sexual activity occurs around wake time."

Meanwhile, Michael offered guidance for anyone finding themselves waking between 1am and 3am needing the toilet. He recommends adjusting your sleeping position for 25 seconds and checking whether the urge continues.

He explained: "Seventy percent of people sleep on their sides and they are putting pressure on their bladder. My guess is that most of those people, if all you did was when you woke up was lie and get on your back and wait for 25 seconds and see if you still need to pee.

"If you don't need to pee, stay in bed and keep your heart rate down, if you need to pee, please, go pee. If you're going to go to the bathroom, have a strategically placed nightlight along the way so you don't have to flip on the light in the water closet, because if you do that, you've told your brain it's morning and it stops producing melatonin."

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