It’s cuddling, and not love-making, that can make a relationship stronger: Study

When people face adversities in their love life or marriage, they blame many factors including lack of love or sex, time constraint or incompatibility, etc. According to experts, couples raise the alarm when they find sexual intercourse has been missing from their life for a while, a long while to be precise. In a state of anxiety, they end up believing that if they somehow bring back the lost passion between the sheets, their relationship too would magically heal. But they are far from the truth. According to a new research, the frequency of cuddling is a better indicator of a happy and healthy relationship than the frequency at which the couples have sex. Which means, the more you cuddle, the stronger your relationship would grow. Let’s look at the reasons why:

“Cuddling, which is a non-sexual intimacy, allows a couple to enjoy a feeling of emotional security. One of the biggest advantages of non-sexual intimacies, like cuddling or a peck on the cheek, is that it allows a person to put down his guard and be more emotionally open. No relationship or marriage can be successful without emotional security and reliability. Whereas in the case of sexual physical intimacy, couples are more concerned about physical pleasure, which of course is equally important in a relationship like emotional bonding. However, not many people are aware of the decline of the emotional health of their relationship,” said Shweta Singh, a senior consultant psychologist.

According to a research conducted by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and reproduction, “Among middle-aged couples in committed relationships, tenderness is often more important to the man than the woman; regular kisses and cuddling lead to greater relationship satisfaction in men than in their partners.”

Besides letting a couple enjoy a sense of emotional security, cuddling also has other benefits. When a person cuddles with a partner, he can smell his partner and feel the warmth of her body. This experience of smell and touch help to release the feel-good hormone oxytocin, which makes couples feel happy and enjoy each other’s company more. And what could be more important than that?

Unlike physical intercourse, you do not need to make special plans to cuddle your partner, right? Which means, you can cuddle your partner more often than getting under the sheets to make love. However, sometimes it is not easy for couples to take out time for this simple romantic gesture, especially couples with children. And here’s why we bring to you a cuddle plan.

You do not need any specific time to cuddle but having a comfortable couch or a bed can be very helpful. One thing that you should try to do while cuddling, is disconnecting from the external world. So, it would be a good idea to not carry your laptop or mobile phone to your cuddle couch. Talking sweet nothings can make your partner feel wanted but choose the subject carefully. Because if you end up talking about work or children, the entire purpose of this activity will be ruined. And, don’t be in a hurry. Just let the moment last.

If you are still not convinced that cuddling is good for your relationship, let us tell you more about the health benefits of cuddling. According to scientists, cuddling lowers the level of the stress hormone cortisol. And since cuddling aids the production of oxytocin, which is also known for its calming effect, it can help a couple to sleep better. If you want to connect with your partner, sleep better and be stress-free, you need to cuddle more, right?

(All images used here are representational)