Ask the Doc: How does stress and not sleeping well affect male fertility?

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.

Learn more

Genetic causes of male infertility fact sheet

Male infertility fact sheet

Male infertility information guide

Dr Magdalena Simonis

Dr Magdalena Simonis 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.

Magdalena also design teaching cirrcula for GP training, is a Senior Research Fellow with the Department of General Practice at the University of Melbourne and frequently contributes, advises and translates science for mainstream media publications. Her most recent research was in service navigation and chronic disease management.