This is the physiological side of things. A man’s refractory period, put quite simply, is the time between when he last orgasmed and when he’s able to orgasm again — in other words, a time of sexual recharging. According to experts, men need time to recover after an orgasm because their bodies have an increased flow of a hormone called prolactin that actually inhibits arousal for a while.
Proponents of masturbating before sex think that this decreased sense of arousal could actually help them prolong partnered sexual activity. However, this theory is nuanced because a man’s refractory period could be different depending on his age and sensitivity levels. For some men, the sense of depletion that comes after masturbation can last several hours. In fact, the older you get, the longer your refractory period might be. It can range anywhere from 10 seconds to 15 minutes to 24 hours.
It’s safe to say that how long you have to wait before having sex depends entirely on you. Knowing your own body and mind and how they work is crucial. If you mistime your refractory period after masturbation, you could end up not being able to feel arousal or achieve an erection during sex.
