For many, the art of seduction starts with dimming the lights. But a new study suggests that bright light may help men with flagging sex drives to shine in bed.

Exposure to bright light - similar to daylight - boosts levels of the male hormone testosterone and can triple sexual satisfaction, the research found.

Low sexual desire affects significant numbers of men after the age of 40.

According to some studies, up to a quarter of men report problems depending on age and other factors.

Because sexual interest varies with the seasons, scientists have suspected that it might be influenced by ambient light levels.

To test the theory, researchers from the University of Siena in Italy recruited 38 men diagnosed with low libidos and treated half of them with daily doses of bright light.