Winter is a time of year marked by holiday festivities, hearty meals, and crackling fires. But the season’s cozy vibes don’t necessarily translate to romantic encounters.
As it turns out, “winter is a time when many people experience a drop in libido,” says Lyndsey Harper, M.D., OB/GYN, founder of Rosy, a sexual health wellness technology platform made specifically for women with low libido. “The change can result from mood shifts, fewer sunlight hours, and increased stress due to the busy nature of the holidays.” The colder temps, as well as things that aren’t unique to winter—such as hormonal, medication, and health changes—can also mess with your sex life, she adds.
It is very common for your libido to fluctuate week-to-week, month-to-month, and season-to-season, according to internationally recognized board-certified urologist Peter Schlegel, M.D., F.A.C.S., who specializes in helping men with sexual dysfunction. In fact, “it is much more common for people to have a libido that ebbs and flows than it is for them to have a libido that is stable,” he says.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Lyndsey Harper, M.D., OB/GYN, is the founder of Rosy, a sexual health wellness technology platform made specifically for women with low libido. Peter Schlegel, M.D., F.A.C.S., is an internationally recognized board-certified urologist who specializes in helping men with sexual dysfunction. Rufus Spann, Ph.D., is an AASECT-certified sex therapist and founder of Libido Health.
4 Possible Reasons For Low Libido In The Winter
If you find yourself wishing your sexual appetite was as high as your craving for hot chocolate, you might want to understand why. Ahead, a closer look at the four most common reasons winter causes reduced libido—plus tips for addressing those underlying culprits and, in turn, enhancing your sex drive.
1. Your Vitamin D Levels Are Low
If there is one nutrient deficiency that can sabotage your sex drive in one fell swoop, it’s the “sunshine vitamin”. Unfortunately, as its nickname suggests, vitamin D deficiencies are especially likely in winter. The body can synthesize vitamin D when ultraviolet B-rays penetrate the outer layer of the skin, per research, so the most efficient and reliable way to meet your vitamin D needs is to spend 5 to 30 minutes in the sunshine each day. However, due to the Earth’s tilt, winter means fewer hours of light and ultraviolet (UV) rays than summer.
“Vitamin D plays a significant role in mood regulation, affecting our bodies, minds, and libido,” says Spann. With that, the reduced sunlight exposure of the winter months can cause mood-related changes such as reduced energy, which translates to less energy for sex, he says.
What’s more, low levels of vitamin D can lead to a dip in sex hormones for both men and women, according to AASECT-certified sex therapist Rufus Spann, Ph.D., founder of Libido Health. Indeed, one study published in The Journal of Steroidal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology found that lower vitamin D levels reduced testosterone production, leading to reduced total and bioavailable testosterone in older men. Meanwhile, one 2019 study published in The Journal of Urology found that vitamin D deficiency can cause low estrogen in women. The sex hormones play a significant role in sexual function (i.e., lubrication and erectile function), as well as sexual appetite, so sex drive and sexual pleasure become compromised when sex hormone production is reduced.
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The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) say that everyone between the ages of 19 and 70 should get at least 600 IU of vitamin D daily. A simple blood test can reveal whether you are or are not, indeed, vitamin D deficient. If you are, Spann suggests investing in a sun therapy lamp and vitamin D3 supplement, such as Garden of Life Vitamin Code RAW Vitamin D3 or The Vitamin Shoppe brand Vitamin D3 Gummies. “The sun therapy lamp (UV lamp) can simulate sunlight and help increase vitamin D levels, while a supplement can also bolster them,” he explains.
In addition to supporting healthy vitamin D levels, Schlegel suggests supporting healthy sex hormone levels by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, sleeping eight hours per night, and eating well. Supplements that support the production of estrogen or testosterone, such as Ancient Nutrition Women’s Hormone Balance Support and The Vitamin Shoppe brand Ultimate Man-T, may help, too.
2. You Have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
The low temperatures of the winter months often go hand-in-hand with low mood. For some people, the case of the winter blues is simply correlated with low vitamin D levels, according to Spann. “Other people, however, may experience a form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),” he explains. “SAD leads to symptoms of depression, which leads to changes and self-perception, pleasure, enjoyment, self-esteem, and sexual energy that translate to a decreased libido.” These effects typically last throughout the wintertime.
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If you believe that you are experiencing SAD or have dealt with it previously, it’s vital to seek out support from a mental health professional, says Spann. In addition to providing a proper diagnosis, a professional can provide treatment for SAD, including medication, supplementation, or UV therapy, he says. “With proper guidance and strategies, you can prevent SAD from negatively impacting daily life, personal relationships, and sexual health,” he says.
Worth noting: “Some of the medications used to treat generalized and seasonal depression, selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can cause a drop in testosterone levels and libido,” says Schlegel.
Read More: Prone To SAD? Here Are 6 Ways To Prepare For Winter
Estimates of the percentage of people who experience low libido as a side effect of their SSRI vary from 25 to 73 percent, so it is worth talking to your provider about alternatives if preserving (or ramping up) your sex drive is a priority, he says.
3. Your Stress Levels Are Higher
No matter what you celebrate, the winter months offer no shortage of holidays. While these celebrations can be jolly, they can also be extraordinarily stressful, notes Harper. After all, the holidays often prescribe getting together with extended family, budgeting (or over-extending your finances) for gifts, and hosting parties and guests.
Unfortunately, all that stress can be bad news for your libido. “Stress is the number one cause of low libido,” Harper says. So, the presence of these stressors can lead to a decrease in libido—especially if the sources of the stress are difficult to manage, she says. Whether the cause is interpersonal or financial, mental or emotional, feelings of stress lead to increased cortisol, the stress hormone.
The rub? Sky-high cortisol levels can sabotage your sex drive. To start, cortisol suppresses the sex hormones, per research, which results in lower levels of desire in men and women. Additionally, high levels of the stress hormone are linked with reduced mental sexual interest in sex. One study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women with high saliva cortisol levels were more mentally distracted and, therefore, less physiologically aroused when viewing erotic imagery compared to those with lower stress levels.
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For the sake of your libido and overall health, Schlegel suggests making an effort to spend the holidays with people who bring cheer and spending only what you can afford. “When centered on love, camaraderie, and relaxation—rather than obligations and things—the holidays can enhance relationships and allow a significant increase in libido,” he says.
You could also consider a libido-boosting supplement with stress-easing ingredients such as ashwagandha or magnesium. Olly Lovin’ Libido and Solaray Her Life Stages Libido are good options for women, while The Vitamin Shoppe brand Ultimate Libido and Irwin Naturals Steel-Libido Red are solid picks for men.
4. Your Energy Levels Are Lower
Do your energy levels dip with the outside temperature? Spann says it’s normal. The colder it is, the harder your body has to work to keep warm, “which can affect overall energy levels, including energy available for sexual activity,” he explains. Winter also often puts tiring tasks on your to-do list that simply aren’t there during the summer months. To name a few: shoveling snow, chipping ice, chopping wood, and walking your pup in frigid weather. These things can often result in less available energy for sex, he says. And then there’s the whole it’s-dark-by-mid-afternoon thing…
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As for some other wintertime woes, Spann suggests that regular exercise, a healthy diet, light therapy, and adequate vitamin D intake can help fight winter fatigue and boost energy levels for sex.
Read More: How To Improve Your Energy And Mood During The Shortest Days Of The Year
Regular exercise supports healthy blood flow, including to the genitals, influences the production of sex hormones, and reduces overall stress, all of which support a higher libido, he explains. Meanwhile, consuming nutrient-dense foods (like complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats) supports consistent and high energy levels throughout the day. Eating simple carbohydrates and high-fat fast foods, meanwhile, can send you on an energy roller coaster that leaves you feeling wiped.
Other Causes (and Fixes) For Low Libido
Your libido can be as finicky as your mother’s meatloaf recipe, so it’s worth noting that several non-winter-related factors can impact it.
According to the National Health Institute, relationship problems, hormone fluctuations, substance use, certain medications, and underlying health conditions can all lead to low libido. So, whether it’s winter or any other season, Harper suggests using libidinal changes as opportunities to check in with your overall mental, emotional, and physical health and habits and make adjustments—or doctor appointments—accordingly.
If, upon checking in with yourself, you realize your libido fall-off is accompanied by a fall-off in relationship satisfaction, you can use that as fuel to re-commit to communicating with your partner, hire a couples therapist, or reevaluate the relationship altogether. Meanwhile, if you discover that your low libido seems to be linked to extreme fatigue or any other new or unusual symptom, chat with your primary healthcare provider to determine whether a new and underlying health change or condition could be impacting your sexual and overall health.