What effect does having sex after a high-stress day have?

What effect does having sex after a high-stress day have?

• A. It increases next-day stress.
• B. It has no measurable effect.
• C. It makes stress worse if stress was long-lasting.
• D. It reduces reports of stress the following day.

Answer: (D)

When a person engages in sex after a high-stress day, the body tends to shift into a more relaxed, restorative state that can lower how stressed they feel the next day. This happens through a mix of neurochemical and physiological changes: endorphins and dopamine lift mood and provide pain relief, oxytocin promotes calm and bonding, and cortisol—the stress hormone—can drop after orgasm. The activity also often improves sleep quality, and better sleep helps reduce daytime stress perception. Taken together, these effects make it likely that people report less stress the following day, rather than more or no change. While sex isn’t a cure for chronic stress, it can provide temporary relief that shows up as reduced stress reports the next day.

When a person engages in sex after a high-stress day, the body tends to shift into a more relaxed, restorative state that can lower how stressed they feel the next day. This happens through a mix of neurochemical and physiological changes: endorphins and dopamine lift mood and provide pain relief, oxytocin promotes calm and bonding, and cortisol—the stress hormone—can drop after orgasm. The activity also often improves sleep quality, and better sleep helps reduce daytime stress perception. Taken together, these effects make it likely that people report less stress the following day, rather than more or no change. While sex isn’t a cure for chronic stress, it can provide temporary relief that shows up as reduced stress reports the next day.