7 Reasons Why Winter Is The Best Season For Sex

Right when the leaves turned from bright green to brilliant oranges and reds and suddenly everyone began wearing flannel, I started dreaming of having winter sex. This past summer was one of the hottest on record in the Northeast and seriously, is there anything less intimate than having to immediately separate after you both get off because, if you don’t, you’re going to start running a fever?

But wintertime means bundling up in the bed together. It means cuddling and making out and building forts out of blankets and then having sex inside of them. It means sipping hot chocolate or whiskey ciders afterward, luxuriating in that post-coital glow instead of running off to take a cold shower. Sure, you might have to put away some of the skimpier lingerie until next spring, but it’s totally worth it. Plus, you can absolutely make peeling your partner out of their eight million winter layers into a sex game super easily.

Oh, and as Demetrius Figueroa, founder of the dating blog and podcast Tao of Indifference, tells Bustle, winter sex is a “cheap way to stay warm.”

So why else am I pumped about the change in season? Here are seven reasons why winter sex is the best, because it could actually help you not get sick this year.

1. Body Heat Is Actually Welcome

I’m one of those people whose body temperature runs really high, especially when I’m touching my boyfriend. As a result, summer sex can be a little… Overheated. And not in a good way. In contrast, the cold winter weather means that my boyfriend is actually reaching out for me to keep him warm instead of looking like he might burst into flame as soon as we start getting busy. It’s simply more comfortable to have sex in the winter than it is in the summer time.

2. You Can Take Your Time

While summer time sex (sans air conditioning, of course) usually needs to be a quick event so that you and your partner don’t get heat stroke, winter sex means you can get up and close and personal for as long as you both can last. No worries about sweat or overheating or any of the other icky stuff that happens during summer sex! Burrow down under those blankets and try out one of these awesome winter sex positions.

3. Cuddling Is More Likely

Cuddling can sometimes be optional after summer sex, simply because you’re both sticky and hot and probably the last thing you want is more body heat. But in the winter, you’re probably going to want to get your cuddle on. “I think winter sex is great primarily because of the after-sex cuddles.” Figueroa says. “Cuddling after sex in the summer usually lasts about five minutes before one of you decides to bite the bullet and say ’It's too hot, please move your arm.’ In the winter, you're way more likely to cuddle post sex because it's a great way to stay warm.”

4. It Floods Your Body With Happy Hormones

Winter can be a bummer. We’re not getting enough sunshine, which means our bodies are vitamin D deficient, and it can be easy to fall into a funk when you can’t summon the energy to even pull on the necessary layers to go outside and find human contact. Sex is a great remedy for that, as it floods your body with oxytocin and endorphins, which promote bonding and kill pain, respectively.

“Cuddling after sex not only feels good, especially in the winter,” Figueroa says. “It also facilitates the release of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes bonding, in addition to a lot of other really cool health benefits like easing stress and boosting the immune system.”

5. There Are Lots Of Scarves Around

This might not seem to super obvious, especially if you’re not especially kinky, but scarves can definitely be sex toys: They can easily be used as restraints, blindfolds, or even gags. Winter means that you probably have scarves flung all over your room (and living room and maybe even the kitchen), meaning there’s always one within easy reach if you feel like spicing things up a little bit.

6. Women Are More Likely To Orgasm While Wearing Socks

“You can keep your socks on and it won't be weird,” Figueora says. “And also it might help you orgasm.” And science says he’s right. Fun fact: a 2013 study from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands found that 80 percent of women who took part in the study orgasmed when manually stimulated by a partner if they were wearing socks, compared to only 50 percent if they were barefoot. So, basically, winter sex means you’re more likely to wear socks in bed, which means — if you’re a woman — you’re may be likely to orgasm. Win!

7. It Could Actually Help You Not Get Sick

A 2004 study from researchers at Wilkes University found that having sex frequently was correlated with higher levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that plays an important part in immunity. Since our immune systems are weaker in the wintertime, winter sex is simply the healthy thing to do.

Have fun staying warm!

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