If your sex life feels good, it's likely that you feel good, too—emotionally, mentally, physically, and relationally. That's why, especially for women and people with vulvas, having multiple orgasms can be an awesome way to amplify your life in—and out—of the bedroom. Simply, “multiple orgasms refer to a person having more than one orgasm in a single session, with short or no recovery time in between,” says Shamyra Howard, PhD, CST, LCSW, a sex therapist and author of Use Your Mouth.
Just to be clear: “There’s no set or universal number of orgasms a person can achieve in one setting,” she adds. Sometimes called rolling orgasms, these “can feel like riding wave after wave of feel-good sensation,” says sex and relationship expert Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, PhD, a professor of relational and sexual communication at California State University and author of How Do You Like It?. Other folks may have a brief comedown period followed by a slower climb back up to arousal before the next orgasm happens.
Regardless of the exact rhythm of the orgasms, and whether a person is having two orgasms or ten, the defining feature is continuity. If you think that sounds enjoyable, you’d be correct. But beyond being just plain fun, orgasming multiple times can actually improve your health, says Howard.
Each and every orgasm releases feel-good hormones, like dopamine and oxytocin, while simultaneously decreasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Getting multiple doses of those neurochemicals can feel connective, deeply satisfying, and relaxing—even if each climax varies in intensity. Plus, orgasms release prolactin, a peptide hormone strongly correlated with sleep duration.
That post-climax chemical cocktail “really helps you relax and get a much better quality of sleep,” Miriam Sivkin, MD, an ob-gyn in New York, previously told Women’s Health. But you don’t just benefit from reaching O-town, the journey to get there may also be informative and connective. In a partnered setting, the same lessons apply to each other's bodies, which can build more trust and pleasure over time.
In fact, this sexual exploration can even encourage you to redefine pleasure, Howard says. Many people were socialized to treat achieving orgasm like racing toward a finish line. Meaning, you stop as soon as you cross it.
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