Are there any benefits to making love more often? How often should we have sex?
"The answer is as often as people are comfortable with," psychiatrist Michele Diblasi tells The Health. “It's safe to have sex every day, even multiple times a day. But it's also okay not to have sex that often," she added.
Studies show that people who have sex every day have the same level of happiness as those who have sex once a week or less, she says.
What happens when you have sex a lot?
The biggest benefit of regular sex is reducing cortisol levels in the body, says Dr. Diblasi. "It's a hormone that's released when you're stressed - so sex reduces stress in the body and makes you calmer and can help you sleep better at night." In the short term, sex releases endorphins in the brain. These are hormones of happiness that are the body's natural analgesics and at the same time improve mood.
Another benefit of regular sex is strengthening the bond between you and your partner. That's because our bodies produce oxytocin when we make love, a hormone that helps us bond with others.
Research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2022 claims that sex can lead to a longer lifespan. The study found that people who had sex at least once a week had a 10 to 21 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, a 44 to 49 percent drop in death from other diseases, and a 69 percent lower death rate from cancer.
Are you making love too often?
Everyday sex can be healthy for some people, but problematic for others, explains Dr. Diblasi. For example, if you don't want to have a relationship but feel pressured by your partner, you won't enjoy the benefits of it – which can have a negative impact on your mental health and relationship.
Frequent lovemaking increases the risk of some physical problems, she adds. "You may experience increased pain or skin irritation, and this may cause higher rates of certain infections such as urinary tract infections."
Ultimately, how often you should have sex depends on what's most enjoyable—and satisfying—for you and your partner.
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