With Valentine's Day just around the corner many of us will be planning a romantic night out or a sexy evening in for our partner.
To ensure fun, fireworks, and a night to remember, we round up some of the ways you can give yourself and your partner's sexual satisfaction a boost, not just for Valentine's Day but all year long.
Share childcare responsibilities
A 2015 study from Georgia State University found that couples who split childcare duties more equally have a higher-quality relationship and sex life than couples in which the majority of the responsibilities lie with the mother.
While women taking more responsibility for childcare had a negative effect, with both partners reporting lower-quality relationships and sex lives compared to couples that split childcare responsibilities, when men were responsible for the majority of duties there was no adverse effect on the relationship or sex life, suggesting that men could have a lot to gain and nothing to lose by helping out more.
Start sexting
Although studies -- and opinions -- on sexting are mixed, a 2015 study showed that getting flirty via your smartphone could result in better sex.
An online survey of 870 Americans found that three-quarters had sent sexy images to a partner, and associated sexting with better relationship satisfaction.
Despite its negative reputation the study's author said that sexting can have an upside, and when used by a loving couple can help improve communication and increase intimacy, resulting in improvements in sexual and relationship satisfaction.
Get enough shut-eye
In a study was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, US researchers found that one way to improve a woman's desire could be as simple as getting enough sleep.
The study found that insufficient sleep can decrease sexual desire and arousal for women, and that those women who slept more on a given night saw a boost in their desire the following day, with each additional hour of sleep increasing the likelihood of sexual activity with their partners by 14 percent.
Sleeping too much, however, appeared to diminish sexual desire the next day, with the authors concluding that, "the take-home message should not be that more sleep is better, but that it is important to allow ourselves to obtain the sleep that our mind and body needs."
Don't force it
Although society and the media may sell us the idea that having lots of sex is the sign of a successful relationship and the key to happiness, a 2015 study from Carnegie Mellon University in the US suggests that increasing the amount you have sex could actually make it more of a chore, rather than something fun.
Published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, the study showed that when couples were instructed to have double the amount of sex they normally would in a week, they did their duty, but actually later reported a small decrease in happiness, with the team suggesting that individuals may need genuine inspiration on their own accord to initiate more sex and reap the benefits.
And don't fake it
A recent study from the University of Waterloo in Canada also revealed that although you might think you're putting on a good performance, the chances are your partner will know if you're faking it.
After looking at 84 couples the researchers found that on average, both men and women can evaluate fairly accurately their partners' level of sexual satisfaction.
The team concluded that although many of us fake it from time to time, their findings underscore the importance of communication in a healthy sexual relationship, which can help couples to better understand their partners' sexual satisfaction.
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