You always hear about the post-sex afterglow — but that doesn't mean it's real. It's supposed to be this romantic moment, where people are cuddled up and basking in each other after they just had some life-shattering sex. But how often does it actually happen? A lot of the time, life hits immediately after you have sex. Maybe one of you has to use the bathroom or you just get back to whatever you were doing, like scrolling through Instagram.
A recent survey conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Pure Romance, the online retailer, found that 36 percent of Americans have a post-sex routine — and many of them are more practical than romantic. They asked 2,000 Americans about their post-sex rituals and, while some people were cuddling up, not everyone was feeling so intimate. "We were most surprised by the amount of people who immediately pick up their phone and check social media after sex," Patty Brisben, founder of Pure Romance, tells Bustle. "At Pure Romance, we recommend using the post-sex time to continue connecting with your partner. What this entails varies on the couple, but could include cuddling or having conversations, in order to keep the intimacy of the moment." Luckily, the survey found that some people are doing just that — some, but not all.
Here's what the survey found about the most popular after-sex routines.
1Cuddle
Cuddling was the number one post-sex routine, with 74 percent of Americans reporting a quick cuddling session. Though many people who said they cuddled also had more to their routine, so it's unclear how long the spooning actually lasted.
2Watch TV Or Movies
Nearly half of Americans said that they turned to TV or movies after sex, which seems high — but if you're already in bed, maybe you want to nod off to some Netflix before you go to sleep.
3Hydrate
How intense is the sex these people are having? Forty-eight percent said they needed to hydrate after sex, which means there is some vigorous sex happening out there, America.
4Get Dressed
How this is considered a "routine" and not just "that thing you have to do before you go back in public so you don't get arrested"?
5Spoon
Is spooning not cuddling? What kind of world are we living in?
6Nothing — Just Lay There
The idea of two people both just laying there and not touching or having any interaction is just so beautifully awkward.
7Have Deep, Meaningful Conversations
OK, we've got some philosophers here. A lot of people people might say that they "talk sh*t" after sex, but these people are going all in and talking about the meaning of life.
8Make Food
This is great — because post-sex it's easy to see how some people love the idea of eating food after sex, but who actually has the will to cook?
9Order Takeout
OK, this sounds more like me. Ordering a post-sex pizza and settling in for some Netflix? That's easy to get behind.
10Go On Social Media
So number 10 may seem low on the list, but 14 percent of people jumped right on social media after they finished having sex — that's a lot of people. Come on guys, can't we live in the moment a little bit?
Sometimes you just have sex for sex's sake and you then you order delivery. As long as you and your partner are feeling comfortable and happy after sex, that's what counts.
