Every relationship has that point where the booty calls are constant and neither person is ever too tired for a quickie. Sex rut? What’s that?
Now, science has pinpointed that exact moment—and when it starts to simmer down.
For the study, published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, researchers surveyed nearly 3,000 couples ages 25 to 41 once a year for three years.
The questions included “How satisfied are you with your sex life?” and “How often do you have sex?” among others.
After controlling for variables like age, gender, and relationship duration, the researchers found that those surveyed reported higher satisfaction with their sex lives in the second half of the first year of the relationship than any other time. After that first year, their sexual satisfaction steadily declined. Cue the womps.
So why is the sweet spot six to 12 months in? The study authors write that this is the time when each partner begins to learn about each other’s sexual desires—and acts on them. Plus, the relationship is still fresh, and that makes boning even more exciting.
It’s also worth noting that living together or getting hitched didn’t impact couples’ satisfaction with their sex lives at all. And ladies and gents who were trying to conceive or were expecting a child had a boost in satisfaction in their time between the sheets. Yay for babies!
According to the study authors, the people who were most satisfied with their bow chika wow wows were the couples who engaged in “intimate communication,” which was reported to have had a “significant positive influence” on their sex lives, regardless of how often they were getting busy.
The study authors did note that their research is limited by age group and by the questions in the survey, and more research still needs to be done to understand what exactly impacts people’s feelings about sexual satisfaction.