Five signs you’re sabotaging your own sex life & how to re-wire your brain for more & better pleasure

ARE your bedroom antics more dull and boring than ever before? Well, it turns out you could be sabotaging your own sex life.

If you can’t remember the last time you climaxed, or have been dreaming about the racy foreplay that’s now a distant memory, fear not, you’ve come to the right place.

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If you want to spice up your sex life, we’ve got you covered[/caption]

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Here, the experts at HealthTest have revealed the lifestyle choices that can slowly dampen your sex drive, including how to ensure better pleasure[/caption]

But don’t fret – if you’re feeling like a spare part in the romance department, you are certainly not alone.

Almost a third of midlife couples – 29 per cent – in long-term relationships describe their sex life as “dissatisfying.”

Meanwhile, 65 per cent of those in their 50s have sex once a week or less.

And it turns out that your lifestyle habits could be to blame – so if you were set on having a ready meal for dinner tonight, or often find yourself doom-scrolling on your phone before bed, you’ll need to think again.

According to the experts at HealthTest, many lifestyle choices that you make without thinking can slowly dampen your sex drive, physical pleasure and emotional connection. 

From your morning coffee to that cheeky glass of wine every night, the pros claimed that these routines are rewiring your brain, shifting hormones and blocking the natural responses your body uses to build arousal and intimacy.

So if you want to re-wire your brain to ensure you have more and better pleasure, it’s time to take notes. 

Thankfully, those at HealthTest have shared the most common libido-sabotaging lifestyle factors and explain how small changes could help light up your desire.

Diet

First things first, although you may associate nutrition with skin health, energy and weight, it turns out it is also directly linked to sex hormones and blood flow – the two essentials for a healthy sex life.

Ultra-processed foods such as ready meals, packaged snacks and sugary cereals contain trans fats and additives that cause low-grade inflammation in the body. 

Over time, inflammation starts to disrupt the balance of hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, all of which play important roles in vaginal lubrication, libido and erectile function.

Diets that include high-sugar food cause insulin spikes and crashes, which can make you feel sluggish, irritable and exhausted – all of which do not help desire or physical closeness when it comes to sex. 

As well as this, nutrient-poor diets can stop the body from having the essential vitamins and minerals it needs, such as magnesium and zinc, both of which have a direct link to sexual function. 

However, switching to a diet rich in healthy fats like nuts, oily fish and avocado, as well as antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, can elevate hormone production and reduce bloating.

Also, lean proteins such as eggs, lentils and plain Greek yoghurt can help to increase blood flow in the pelvic areas, helping to support strong, more reactive arousal.

Screen time

As well as this, while binge-watching in bed, late-night scrolling and answering emails after a certain time may feel routine, they are all sneakily ruining your sex life. 

Blue light from screens stops melatonin, the sleep hormone, which disrupts your sleep and impacts the natural overnight production of important sex hormones like oestrogen and testosterone.

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Constant digital stimulation can cause constant dopamine hits and social media can suppress emotional connection[/caption]

Insufficient sleep equals insufficient hormone regulation, which closely affects energy levels and sexual desire. 

Although there is a huge biological impact, screen time overload overstimulates the brain and interrupts real-life intimacy.  

Constant digital stimulation can cause constant dopamine hits and social media can suppress emotional connection, manipulating expectations of body image and sex, leading to disconnection in the bedroom and performance anxiety. 

If you want to get things going again with your partner, it’s important you set clear boundaries with tech before bed, as this can help your body and brain reconnect with desire in a more natural way.

Alcohol

Not only this, but while many may think that a casual glass of wine may seem like the perfect way to set the mood, it turns out that alcohol affects the nervous system and can interfere with satisfaction and arousal. 

Although it may lower inhibitions in the short term, alcohol also stops communication, emotional connections and sensitivity. 

For men, it can lead to temporary loss of stamina and erectile dysfunction, while for women, it can decrease natural lubrication and reduce sensation, meaning that having sex is less enjoyable.

Even if you drink a moderate amount frequently, it can still lower testosterone levels and slowly reduce your natural sex drive, making a sober connection harder to form if you feel like you need to rely on alcohol to feel intimate. 

If this is something you want to work on, explore sober intimacy or take breaks from drinking, as this will help bring back emotional togetherness and restore desire more authentically.

Toxic toiletries

It may come as a surprise to you, but every day products such as shampoo, moisturisers and deodorant might be doing more harm than good when it comes to your hormones. 

Many contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as bisphenol A, phthalates, parabens and synthetic fragrances, which can block your natural hormones and mimic them, interfering with testosterone and oestrogen. 

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Limiting your use of products containing ECs will make it easier to increase your sex drive[/caption]

Over time, this can affect energy, libido and even fertility.

Studies have shown that EDC exposure can delay sexual development, reduce sperm quality and cause hormonal imbalance that lowers sex drive. 

To put a stop to this and make a real difference, you can switch to hormone-safe products, especially for those used daily. 

Look for labels that say ‘fragrance-free’ and avoid ingredients like ‘synthetic fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ to help support a healthier, balanced sex life.

Stress and sleep

Finally, if you’re desperate to be a freak in the sheets, you’ll need to sort out your stress levels and catch up on sleep.

Constant stress and poor sleep are two of the biggest and most overlooked factors that kill libido – if you’re chronically stressed, your body will produce more cortisol, the stress hormone, which gradually stops the production of testosterone and oestrogen. 

If this continues to happen, this hormonal imbalance will make it harder to feel emotionally connected, aroused or interested in having sex. 

Meanwhile, when you add restless sleep into the mix, your body starts to miss out crucial time overnight to repair and restore its need to regulate, desire, energy and mood.

The best way to navigate this is by resetting your nervous system – try including box-breathing into your evening routine. 

Simply start by inhaling through your nose for four seconds, hold for four, then exhale through your mouth for four, and hold again for four. 

Repeating this cycle three or four times will trigger the body’s relaxation response, lower cortisol levels and help you shift into a calm and peaceful state, making it easier to feel both physically and mentally ready for sex. 

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