What Happens When You Orgasm?
Have you ever wondered what happens when you orgasm? Let’s talk about the biology behind orgasms. Orgasms are incredibly beneficial to both our mental and physical wellbeing.
Some of the most well-known benefits of orgasms are:
- regulates hormones
- regulates sleep
- can reduce pain (cramps, headaches)
- boosts your immune system
- boosts your mood
- can elevate your self esteem and confidence
How are orgasms so beneficial? The answer to that lies in what actually happens in our bodies when we climax.
The lateral orbitofrontal cortex becomes less active.
This is a fancy way of saying your inhibitions are lowered. This is the part of the brain that is responsible for decision-making and logic. When this area of your brain is less active, you’re also less likely to feel fear or anxiety, which is why orgasms have been proven to decrease depression symptoms.
Your sensory cortex, hypothalamus, thalamus and substantia nigra light up.
Your sensory cortex controls what sensations you feel. Your hypothalamus produce oxytocin (a feel-good love hormone). Your thalamus helps integrate information (touch, movement, sexual memories or fantasies) into what’s actually happening. And your subsantia nigra plays a role in reward and movement (basically helping you realize that “faster” and “harder” feel good). All of this is happening in succession leading up to the big O.
When you actually have your release, your body is flooded with dopamine and oxytocin.
Dopamine is a hormone that is responsible for feelings of pleasure, desire, and motivation. It’s a really good-feeling mood boost. Oxytocin is a bonding hormone that is also released during breastfeeding and can explain the intimate, sensual feelings we experience during and after orgasm.
Another fun note: during sex, you’re less susceptible to pain.
The pituitary gland is activated and a release of endorphins floods your system during masturbation or intercourse, which leads to pain reduction. Essentially, while you’re saying “spank me harder”, your hormone-flooded system doesn’t often realize that your partner is already spanking you plenty hard enough. This is why communication is so important during impact play, by the way.
That’s a lot of work and it makes your brain tired.
Once your orgasm has come and gone (pun very much intended), your brain starts to slow down. An orgasm signals the parasympathetic nervous system to start regulating or calming down the body after being so worked up. The brain also churns out serotonin after orgasm, which promotes relaxation and happiness.
It might not be over, yet.
All brains experience the release of oxytocin during sex. However, the female brain often continues to send low-doses of oxytocin through the system for a little while longer after orgasm.
Want to learn more about orgasms?
Check out this source.
