Dear Yvonne, I'm usually tired after I have sex with my husband, so why don't I want to go straight to sleep after sex like he does? -Trina
Dear Trina, After sex and orgasms, women remain in the plateau state (of the sexual response cycle) much longer than men. It can take a woman anywhere from 15-30 minutes to "come down" from an orgasm, with bodily changes including reduced breast swelling, the clitoris returning to its normal position, a shrinking uterus and "deflating" of the vagina, and a return to her unaroused pulse rate, blood pressure and breathing. Unlike men, women don't enter a refractory period, the time following orgasm when a man cannot be sexually aroused, have an erection or orgasm. It is for these reasons that women aren't as tired as their partners after sex, and "wired" enough to become aroused again if desired.
Dr. Yvonne KristAn Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of
She is the author of several books including, "Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots."
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