Well, to get all the actual science you will have to go to a 2008 CBS News HealthWatch article to get all the facts that offer many reasons for most of us parents to make “date night” a regular event – not just for Valentines Day or our Anniversary.  Since it is not my article, I will just list the 10 reasons and with a few quotes that dovetail with our oxytocin thinking.

1. Sex Relieves Stress – Need I say anymore here? Once you read the science, parents of our special kids may want date night 7 nights a week! “Lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction. Other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.” A simple hug could work wonders. Amazing yes?

2. Sex Boosts Immunity “Good sexual health may mean better physical health”. Who wants less health?

3. Sex Burns Calories “Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more.” Do I see the Biggest Looser changing its training venue?

4. Sex Improves Cardiovascular Health “Researchers found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men”. Gee, wonder what that is worth in health care savings?

5. Sex Boosts Self-Esteem

6. Sex Improves Intimacy “Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. They found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels. Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond”. Oxytocin allow us to feel the urge to nurture. People sometimes ask, “how to love my child again?” Or, how can I feel more loving when I am so angry?” Maybe we should tell them to have more sex…

7. Sex Reduces Pain “As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.” I have felt the pain of raising my RAD kid more than once. And I have seen it in many others. Karyn Purvis, the renown researcher and author of The Connected Child (we highly recommend this) says that they found reduced hormonal levels in the parents they work with who have children who come from “hard places”, foster and adoption homes.

8. Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk Again, healthcare savings plus a fun cure?

9. Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles

10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better “The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep”. Warning: do not have sex in the morning or at work.

If you are not a fan of Oxytocin yet, this may help you better understand and appreciate this free, easily accessible and powerful natural chemical in the body. And if you are not a fan of sex yet either, this may help you better understand and appreciate this wonderful God-given experience in a whole new way.

— David Durovy

Susan Kutchinskas’ The Chemistry of Connection. Want to learn more about Oxytocin, visit our store and purchase this ground breaking book – (and get a bonus offer of 4 hours of Bryan Post’s excellent CD program The Solution Sessions for just $5 more!) This is the Oxytocin Book that Bryan Post fell in love with!
Full of fascinating information about the biology of attachment, it uses the newest data from psychology, neuroscience and molecular biology to explain how we love, why we sometimes can’t, and how to develop this deep human capacity by understanding oxytocin. It shows how to nurture lasting love between ourselves, our mates and our children. Kuchinskas gives reader essential information about connection and bonding and helps readers understand the brain chemistry behind who we are. Anyone who wants to understand and improve their relationships should read it.

For current information and research on Oxytocin, visit www.oxytocincentral.com