Have you ever noticed that vacation sex feels so much better than sex at home? Or maybe you find yourself hornier than usual whenever you travel? Well, you're definitely not alone!

Dr. Justin Lehmiller surveyed over four thousand Americans about their sexual fantasies and found that even 90% of participants fantasize about sex in a hotel, and 83% fantasize about sex on a beach or another exotic vacation location. 

People are not only fantasizing about vacation sex, but they're doing it much more often in real life as well. Travel company Passport Photo Online recently surveyed over 1000 people and found that 80% of Americans believe that sex is better away from home. And even half of the participants admitted that they have more sex with their partner while on vacation. 

It really seems that being away from home is revving up people's sex drives. And there are quite a few good reasons why. Let's break down the psychology of vacation sex. 

Science of Sexual Desire: Why Vacation Sex Is So Good

What Affects Our Sex Drive?

Before we quickly dive into the reasons why vacation sex is so good for our sex drives, let's quickly touch on some basic science about sexual desire. 

Our sexual desires are much more complex than most people know. Rosemary Basson was the one who explained the two different sexual desire types: responsive and spontaneous. Depending on what sexual desire type we have, we desire sex differently. 

People with spontaneous desire tend to get aroused and desire sex seemingly out of the blue. While people with responsive desire require some sort of outside trigger to become interested in and desire sex.  

Not only do our sexual desire types play a part in how much we desire intimacy and how interested we are, but there is also the dual control model of sexual response: the brakes and the accelerators. Emily Nagoski explains the concept in her book Come As You Are.

In simple terms, brakes are things that turn us off from sex, for example, stress, an argument with a partner, or even unwashed dishes in the sink. And accelerators are things that turn us on, for example, a kiss from a partner, a successful day at work, or a vacation away from home.

 

4 Reasons Why Vacation Boosts Our Libidos 

Alright, now that we discuss how our sexual desires work, let's dive into the ways it is affected by vacations and being away from home!

Novelty Is Sexy

It's natural for the excitement about our partners to go down the longer we are in the relationship. That is why it's important to introduce sexual novelty into the relationship to keep the flame alive. In fact, it doesn't have to be sexual to excite us and increase sexual desire.

Traveling or going on a vacation with a partner is a very easy way to break the routine and introduce novelty into the relationship. Changing the environment even for a short time can reignite the spark and make sex so much more satisfying and exciting. 

Less Stress

Studies show that even 44% of Americans feel stressed frequently. It's no surprise knowing how fast-paced life is and how busy and preoccupied we are with everyday life at work and at home. 

Stress has many negative impacts on our bodies – from poor mental health to physical pain and even illnesses. And guess what? Stress also has a huge effect on our sex drives. 

When we're stressed, our bodies go into flight or fight mode. When our bodies are in this mode, all non-essential functions to our survival, like sex drive, are shut down. Also, the hormone cortisol that's released when we experience stress negatively impacts our testosterone levels (sex hormone), which also further decreases our interest in sex. 

Now when we're on vacation, we tend to be much less stressed. Being away from home, routine and the regular schedule makes us relaxed. On vacation, we do what we want, when we want. It's the perfect escape. 

So, when we're relaxed, and our bodies are not in constant flight or fight mode, there is much more space for our sexual desire to flourish, hence mind blowing vacation sex. 

More Sleep

A study done by the University of Colorado's Sleep Lab revealed that even a simple weekend camping trip can improve the quality of sleep. People who suffered from insomnia were able to get more than 10 hours of sleep each night after the trip. 

While you're on vacation, chances are that you are spending at least some of the time catching up on sleep. After all, during vacation your schedule is clear and you're free to do whatever your heart desires. 

Now, sleep (or lack of it) actually has a huge impact on our sex drives. A recent study found that when women got more sleep during the night, they were much more interested in having sex the next day. A study revealed that only one extra hour of sleep led to a 14% increase in their interest in sex. 

Another study found that lack of sleep lowered the levels of testosterone (sex hormone) in young healthy men, which can negatively impact sex drive. 

So, as you can see, sleep is crucial for a healthy sex drive, and having more sleep is one of the reasons why we might be more into sex during vacation.

 

More Testosterone 

Research shows that exposure to more sunlight increases testosterone production in animals and humans. Testosterone is a sex hormone that plays a part in our desire to have sex. So, if you often choose sunny locations for your vacations, it's natural that you might feel like your sex drive is higher while you're enjoying the sun. 

How To Make Your Next Vacation Sexier

Now that you know why vacation sex is so hot, and how going on vacation affects your sex drive, you might want to book your next trip! And once you do, make sure you prepare and pack some essentials with you to ensure an unforgettable experience. 

In the Passport Photo Online survey, they found that 72% of couples are more willing to experiment while on vacation, so you might want to explore your sexual fantasies with your partner. 

They also found that even 50% of couples pack lubricants and 46% consider lingerie to be essential to take on vacation with them.  

So, you might want to grab our water-based personal lubricant with aloe vera. It's vegan, fragrance and colorant-free, and pH optimized. And if you're ready to get playful and kinky, why not also throw in a sexy body chain or nipple pasties?