The morning habit that will boost your brain, make you more productive and even land you a promotion

A quick roll in the sheets could be the key to your next promotion, a study suggests.

Researchers at online pharmacy ZipHealth asked 1,000 Americans how often they have sex and what time of day most suits their fancy. 

The experts also asked them how productive, motivated and burned out they felt at their full-time jobs to see how their bedroom habits translated to the board room.

The study found adults working full-time jobs tended to feel the most productive, focused, task-oriented and motivated if they were intimate with a partner right before their commute. 

Additionally, nearly one in three said having a fulfilling sex life positively impacted their income and how quickly they moved up in their careers.

Just over half of those who got busy first thing in the morning said they had received a raise in the past year, while almost one in five had been promoted within that time. 

Gen X and Baby Boomers were the most likely age group to prefer morning sex, followed by millennials and Gen Z, which could help explain why the younger generation tends to be more disgruntled with their jobs. 

While it’s unclear exactly what morning sex does to enhance productivity, sex experts and therapists told the Daily Mail that the flood of ‘feel-good’ chemicals that get released during the act can boost workers’ moods for the rest of the day, improving their motivation and sense of worth. 

Sofie Roos, a licensed sexologist and relationship expert at Passionerad in Sweden, told the Daily Mail: ‘Morning sex works a bit as a natural kick-starter for the day, both for body and mind. 

‘During sex, especially when orgasming, a cocktail of the feel good hormones dopamine and oxytocin are being released, which makes us feel more energized, focused, safe and high on life.’

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s part of the brain’s reward system, controlling movement, attention, pleasure, motivation and arousal. When a person does something pleasurable, like have sex, the brain releases large amounts of dopamine in response. 

Roos continued: ‘The dopamine is the brain’s own rewarding hormone that makes us feel motivated and full of energy, which is the same signal substance that’s connected to determination and productivity; that said, things which make you do a better job.’ 

Oxytocin, while managing female reproductive systems like childbirth and lactation, also influences arousal, romantic attraction and trust. 

Dr Michael Krychman, a gynecologist and sexual medicine specialist at UCI Health in California, added: ‘Sex can increase testosterone and affect your assertive personality. In addition, the release of endorphins causes a sense of calmness and oxytocin can increase bonding with other individuals.’

The ZipHealth study surveyed 1,000 Americans with full-time jobs. They were 40 years old on average, and 56 percent were female. Of the participants, 47 percent were millennials, 14 percent were Gen Z and 39 percent were baby boomers and Gen X combined. 

The team found people who had morning sex had the highest levels of productivity, task completion, concentration, motivation and job satisfaction. In fact, they were twice as productive and focused as those who rarely or never had sex. 

And when looking at job titles, researchers found executives and business owners were the most likely group to have morning sex with a rate of 26 percent, followed closely by senior managers at 23 percent.   

Additionally, 35 percent of those surveyed said morning sex boosts their mood more than a cup of coffee before work. 

Yuki Shida, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Shida Marriage Counseling, Inc, told the Daily Mail: ‘Feelings of fear, anxiety, stress would not be impacting your work performance as much in this [post-sex] state.

‘Of course, this survey from ZipHealth does not identify the causation relationship between these two factors. 

‘The benefit that someone gains from morning sex more than likely depends on their relationship health, environmental stress, and resiliency factors rather than just the time of day that they have intercourse.’

While quick sex in the morning generally boosted work performance, one in five Americans admitted they have been late to work at least once because they were having sex. 

This was most common among Gen Z, 25 percent of whom said the habit made them late, compared to 21 percent of Gen X and Boomers and 19 percent of millennials. 

Experts told the Daily Mail that while the ideal lovemaking session lasts more than a few minutes, some quick action in the morning is better than none.  

Karen Bigman, sex educator and founder of the Taboo to Truth podcast, told the Daily Mail: ‘If having a “quickie” is all you have time for, you’ll still get the benefits of the hormone release, provided you’re adequately aroused and you enjoy the experience. 

‘If it’s simply functional, and causes more stress because you feel rushed, then it will likely have the reverse affect. 

‘The longer your session, the more connected and relaxed you’ll feel.’