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Want to know if you and your guy will have sex tonight? Think about how much sleep you got last night, according to a recent study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Every morning for two weeks, researchers had 171 female college students complete questionnaires about their sexual function and sleep quality over the previous 24 hours, including how long it took to fall asleep and total sleep time. And while we know it's likely you're not pulling all-nighters cramming for exams or spring-breaking in Daytona anymore, you are probably up all night putting the finishing touches on your seating chart or worrying about some mother-in-law drama — so pay attention to the study's results!
The findings? Each extra hour of sleep counts. For women in romantic relationships, that extra hour corresponded to higher levels of sexual desire and check out this stat — a 14 percent increase in likelihood of sexual activity the next day. Even when they controlled for age, sexual distress, daytime feelings of happiness or sadness, and fatigue, the positive effect on the sex lives persisted.
See more: 6 Romantic Gestures All Married Women Crave
So, for those nights when you're in your pajamas and heading for bed at 9:00 pm? Stop feeling guilty that you're leaving your fiancé to play video games by himself. Instead, think about how you're setting you both up for a 14 percent greater likelihood of great sex the following night.
Allison Moir-Smith, MA, is a bridal counselor, creator of How Brides-To-Be REALLY Feel videos, and author of Emotionally Engaged: A Bride's Guide to Surviving the "Happiest" Time of Her Life.