Study Says Sexual Fantasies Can Improve Your Relationship

Sex can make or break a relationship. However, it's easy to lose sight of just how important a healthy sex life is when in a relationship. This can be especially true if you have a lower libido than your partner, as you may not realize just how much your sexual frequency needs differ from those of your significant other. With that being said, anyone can fall prey to a mediocre sex life. When this happens, couples can become unhappy without even consciously realizing why.

Relation Between Sexual Satisfaction and Relationship Satisfaction

One study conducted in Australia looked at data from over 6,500 people who were in relationships. The researchers found that people who weren't having enough sex were more likely to report lower sexual satisfaction and lower relationship satisfaction. They also found that factors other than frequency, such as duration of sex and type of sex, also mattered. There are many other similar studies that demonstrate a clear relationship between the quality of a couple's sex life and the quality of their romantic bond.

Not only is having frequent and exciting sex important for relationship satisfaction, but it also boosts your overall satisfaction with life. In fact, sex has such an impact on us that research shows increasing sex from once a month to once a week increases happiness as much as a $50,000 raise. Fortunately, for most of us, having more sex with our partners is easier than getting that raise.

Sharing Sexual Fantasies With Your Partner

Many people keep their sexual daydreaming to themselves, and are uncomfortable sharing such private thoughts with their partner. Some people fantasize about trying something new in the bedroom but keep quiet because they fear their partner will respond negatively. Contrary to what some might think, it often is better to share sexual fantasies with your significant other than to keep it private.

Sharing intimate fantasies can strengthen your relationship in multiple ways. Sharing your ideas with your partner is the first step toward the possibility of acting them out. What once was a far-off fantasy could become a regular reality, and making your dreams come true is a sure-fire way to be sexually satisfied. Mutually sharing sexual fantasies is a great way to spice things up and keep sex interesting, especially in a long-term relationship where the sex can become stale if you don't put in the effort. Even if your partner declines to act out your fantasy, the simple act of sharing something intimate is a display of trust, and therefore can increase your emotional bond.

At least 95 percent of the population engages in private sexual fantasies. Chances are, if you share fantasies with your partner, he or she will be willing to share back. Studies find that sharing sexual fantasies can improve relationships, so there is little reason not to give it a try. Naturally, fantasies that you share with your partner should be about your partner; if you have fantasies about other people, keep these ones to yourself—unless, of course, you know for a fact that your partner is into even just the fantasy of non-monogamy.

Spicing Things Up

There are a huge variety of possible sexual fantasies—massage, cameras, role-play, sex toys, fetishes, you name it—but the only way to find out whether your partner would be willing to indulge your fantasies is to communicate. If you really want to try something out, overcome your embarrassment or fear and simply ask for it. If you think a direct conversation would be too awkward, you can test the waters by asking your partner to take this discreet couple's sex questionnaire with you.

Sharing fantasies increases the quality of sex, but as mentioned earlier, frequency also matters a lot. Regardless of how willing you and your partner are to act out new fantasies, sexual satisfaction can still fall flat if either of you don't want sex very often. Fortunately, it's easier than ever to increase your sex drive. You can improve your sexual satisfaction—and therefore your relationship—even more by supplementing shared fantasies with natural supplements containing maca root.

Maca is a South American plant that has become popular in the West recently for its many health benefits. Research shows that is has great potential for treating low libido. Multiple studies have shown that taking a maca root supplement causes you to want sex more often. Interestingly, maca increases your sex drive without directly affecting your hormones, unlike many other botanicals used to increase sexual desire. Future research may reveal exactly how this herb works. In the meantime, you can go ahead and reap its benefits.