Sexual afterglow: Why intimacy can affect a relationship for 48 hours

The most important thing about sex may not end when sex ends. In a 2017 study published in Psychological Science, researchers found that sexual satisfaction remained elevated for approximately 48 hours after sexual activity among newlywed couples. They called the lingering effect a sexual afterglow.

The scientists combined data from two longitudinal studies in which newly married spouses recorded sexual activity and satisfaction each day for two weeks. Couples who experienced a stronger afterglow also tended to report greater marital satisfaction. That does not prove sex mechanically causes happier marriages, and the findings should not automatically be applied to every couple.

But the idea is illuminating. Intimacy can leave an emotional trace that continues after the bedroom door opens. The question is not whether every relationship needs sex on a schedule; it is what kinds of closeness help two people continue to feel chosen and connected.

Further reading: A satisfying encounter is about more than measurements. The evidence on whether penis size matters illustrates why that distinction matters.

• Evidence: Psychological Science (2017): Quantifying the sexual afterglow.
• Related reading: Why do some people feel sad or cry after sex—even when it was good?; and It Wasn’t Sex. It Was Kissing Away Her Pain..
• Image credit: Francesco Hayez, Il bacio (1861), public-domain artwork via Wikimedia Commons.