When it comes to sex, one of the most discussed topics is how long it should last. In other words, what is the ideal time to have sex? As we all know, everybody is different meaning that we all like something else when it comes to sex. One thing, however, most of us can agree on: sex should not last too short but also not too long. So, what is the ideal time to have sex?

Of course, sex is something that happens naturally and should not be timed. The last thing we want to do is to keep a stopwatch at hand in order to keep track of time while we should, in fact, be enjoying each other. Nevertheless, there certainly is a certain time-frame that is considered to be the ‘’best length to have sex’’. And believe us when we say that you might be surprised by the answer as it’s likely not as long as you previously thought.

What do we know?

As mentioned above, one of the most asked questions related to sex is regarding the perfect length of the act and how long it should last. As of such, it goes without saying that plenty of research has been conducted before on this topic. In 2005, for example, an American physician named Dr. Irwin Goldstein conducted a survey among 1500 couples in order to find out their view towards the ideal time to have sex. The result? Just 7.3 minutes! Which is, we’re sure, much less than what you expected!

Three years later, another American doctor named Eric Corty published the finding of his study that was aimed at 50 couples. During his study, he tried to determine what is the most preferred length of having sexual intercourse - that is to say, from the first moment of penetration until ejaculation - not keeping in mind the foreplay. The findings of his study showed us the following:

• 0 to 2 minutes: it goes without saying that every couple participated in the study agreed that this was ‘’too short’’
• 3 to 7 minutes: this time-frame of having sexual intercourse was considered to be ‘’satisfactory’’
• 8 to 13 minutes: was considered by most couples as the ‘’ideal’’ duration
• More than 13 minutes: at this time, the majority of couples started to think that it’s all going on a little bit ‘’too long’’

What about foreplay?

So, the ideal time to have sexual intercourse lies between 8 to 13 minutes. But what about foreplay? We all know that foreplay is an essential part of satisfactory sex. When looking at the numbers, we know that it takes men approximately 3 to 5 minutes to orgasm whereas women need considerably longer. Therefore, if you both wish to orgasm around the same time, the man needs to hold back a little and foreplay becomes essential.

Studies have shown that it takes women around 10 to 30 minutes to become fully aroused. Therefore, it’s a great way to encourage your boyfriend or husband to take it slow and first play around a bit before having actual sex. Having great foreplay will work wonders when it comes to enjoying the actual sex later on. So don’t be shy and use your hands, mouth, or perhaps one of the latest sex toys for women to turn your partner on.

Let’s do the math

Now that we know what’s the ideal time to spend on foreplay and the preferred time to have actual sex, we can put the numbers together to see what’s the best time to have sex.

So, for foreplay, the ideal time is 10 to 30 minutes whereas the best time to have sex lies between 7 to 13 minutes. Based on that, we can state that the ideal length of time a session should last is from 17 and 43 minutes. The exact time naturally differs per person and couple and on how long the two of you like to spend on foreplay and sexual intercourse.

Based on these numbers, we from Luvkis believe it’s safe to state that there is no such thing as the ‘’up all night sessions’’ we often read about in gossip magazines or see in our favorite TV series and romantic movies. So whether it’s 40 minutes of fame or 17 minutes of heaven, we all have our own time to shine. How long will you last? Let us know along with your opinion on how long sex should last in the comment section below.