We’ve heard it all too often – men who claim that they are not affectionate and attempt to avoid cuddling or kissing. Stereotype has set it out such that women are known to be more endearing than men and enjoy a deeper intimacy more than their partners. However, a study – one of the first of its kind – found that men like to cuddle too!
In fact, they need more kisses and cuddles than women! Meanwhile, women are found to prioritize sexual satisfaction when in a long-term relationship.
Researchers from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University interviewed 1,009 heterosexual couples in the United States, Brazil, Germany, Japan and Spain. The study involved participants, ages 25 to 76, lived together or were married at least one year, but an average of 25 years.
The study discovered several other surprising finds:
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– Couples who show physical affection regularly to each other combined with more sex reported being more sexually satisfied.
– Women feel that sex gets better with time. So the longer the relationship, the better the sex is for females.
– Long-term relationships also lead to an increase in sexual satisfaction
– Japanese men are 2.61 times more sexually satisfied in their relationships than American men.
– Meanwhile, Japanese and Brazilian women are more sexually satisfied than American women
While all these findings are eye-openers, the most important discovery was the link between happiness and sex. Generally, men were more likely to be happy if they were healthy, and their partners had orgasms.
Michael Sand, study co-author and clinical sexologist at Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals in Richfield said: ‘This is an important study because it shows people can be in relationships for decades and still enjoy healthy, vibrant sexuality.’
He continued to add: ‘A lot of stuff we hear in the media is fueled by popular press, anecdotes and information people take as a given. It’s a stereotype; it’s not what we have as reality in research.’
Yet, truth is, even if you show your partner this article, they would probably snigger in contempt – surely in the attempt to hide their true emotions! So we came up with several ways to ease your man into being more comfortable with cuddling (or any show of affection for that matter).
Men like to cuddle too!
1. On a lazy day in, offer to give him a back rub. A 15-min massage would loosen him up and make him more relaxed. Once you sense that he is at ease, make your move and give him a soft hug. Continue your message and then stop again to give him a longer hug. At the end of it, he is bound to pull you in for a cuddle.
2. Set the atmosphere right! No one (not even women!) wants to cuddle on a hard bench or an uncomfortable sofa. Arrange plush pillows and throw a couple of blankets on your sofa. Comfort is key when it comes to cuddling. After all we wouldn’t want to end up with a sore arm or shoulder at the end of it.
3. Give him a surprise text when he’s at work or anytime he’s not around you. Tell him that you miss being around him and being cuddled by him. And it never hurt to throw in a little incentive – hint to him that cuddling earns him brownie points that he can cash in for rewards in bed.
4. Some men are worried that you wouldn’t want to cuddle when he gets home from work. Why you ask? Simply because he thinks he smells! Ladies, this is where you work your charm. Even if he does emit some sort of body odor, bear with it. You love him for him and not for his perfume. Plus, we all smell sometime. Reassure him that you think he does not smell terrible and that a little relaxation time in front of the television with you would do him some good. Your little praises will do both of you well in the long run.
5. And if you’re annoyed by the lack of post-coital cuddling, there is still hope yet. Come to a compromise by setting up a deal, 5 minutes of cuddling before he can go to sleep. Or when he turns away, hug him from the back, without you knowing, he might just enjoy being cuddled rather than cuddling you all the time.
Source: MSNBC