Afterglow lasts for 2 days
‘Afterglow,’ that lasts for up to two days, is linked with relationship quality over the long term, says a study.
It’s linked with relationship quality
A study of newlywed couples, published in Psychological Science, indicates that partners experience a sexual ‘afterglow’ that lasts for up to two days, and this afterglow is linked with relationship quality over the long term.
Sexual satisfaction remains elevated 48 hours after sex
“Our research shows that sexual satisfaction remains elevated 48 hours after sex,” says Andrea Meltzer, from Florida State University, lead author on the study.
Higher afterglow = Better relationship
Adding, “And people with a stronger sexual afterglow — that is, people who report a higher level of sexual satisfaction 48 hours after sex — report higher levels of relationship satisfaction several months later.”
Sex might provide a short-term boost to sexual satisfaction
Researchers had theorized that sex plays a crucial role in pair bonding, but most adults report having sex with their partners every few days, not every day. Meltzer and colleagues hypothesized that sex might provide a short-term boost to sexual satisfaction, sustaining the pair bond in between sexual experiences and enhancing partners’ relationship satisfaction over the long term.
The study proves it!
To test their hypothesis, the researchers examined data from two independent, longitudinal studies, one with 96 newlywed couples and another with 118 newlywed couples. All of the couples had completed at least three consecutive days of a 14-day daily diary as part of a larger study.
Sex = bliss?
Every night, before going to bed, the newlyweds were asked to report independently whether they had sex with their partner that day. Regardless of the answer, they were also asked to rate how satisfied they were with their sex life that day and how satisfied they were with their partner, their relationship, and their marriage that day (on a 7-point scale, where 1 = not at all, 7 = extremely).
What’s your mariage quality?
The partners also completed three measures of marriage quality at the beginning of the study and again at a follow-up session about 4 to 6 months later. On average, participants reported having sex on four of the 14 days of the study, though answers varied considerably across participants.
Hence proved
Importantly, sex on a given day was linked with lingering sexual satisfaction over time. Having sex on a given day was linked with sexual satisfaction that same day, which was linked with sexual satisfaction the next day and even two days later.
