Sex makes you happy
Lifestyle

Sex makes you happy

By Sabine, 23.10.2023

Having lots of sex DOES make you feel goooood… but not for the reason you think.

The more you kiss, cuddle and chat, the happier you are in a relationship, research has found. IT’S no secret that people who have more sex are happier than those who rarely get lucky in the bedroom. But, while you might think it’s obvious why, new research suggests another theory.

Couples who have sex more often are happier – because they spend time chatting and cuddling afterwards. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was the joy of an orgasm that made those regularly getting laid happier – but scientists have discovered that’s not the whole answer. While sex does make us happier, it is actually the post-coital cuddling that does the trick, rather than reaching climax itself.

A new study, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, discovered that signs of affection and casual chatting was responsible for long-term happiness. Psychologists in Canada and Switzerland looked beyond the bliss that orgasm brings to the expressions of affection both during and after sex.

Couples who have sex more often are happier – because they spend time chatting and cuddling afterwards.

It means couples who have sex even just once a week were happier, reports the British Psychological Society. They surveyed 335 people who were in a relationship and asked them how often they had sex. They were also quizzed on how much affection, such as hugging and kissing, was shown in their relationship. And researchers asked them to rate their life satisfaction and how often they experienced joy and happiness.

The results showed having more sex was linked with greater life satisfaction, with participants feeling happy more often. But they found that when they factored in the amount of affection in the relationship, the sex link to happiness all but disappeared.

More than 100 couples kept a diary for ten days, detailing their sexual activity, affectionate experiences and moments of love from their partner. The researchers found people who enjoyed lots of affection the day before, woke up happier. And in many cases that happiness was also linked to having had sex too.

So dó talk and kiss. Maybe send an affectionate text after your quickie!


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